July 2010

Paedophile locked up for grooming 15-year-old girl

A 42-year-old man who groomed a 15-year-old girl for sex over the internet has been jailed for two years and four months.

Trevor Quick, of Dexter Avenue, Grantham, contacted the girl from Herefordshire through an internet chat room saying he was 20, and then drove down to meet her.

He had incited her to send him pictures of herself and over a two week period, demanded that they were more and more explicit.

Quick admitted charges of sexual grooming and making and possessing indecent images.

Jos Thomas prosecuting, told Gloucester Crown Court that Quick drove down from his former home in Newark to meet the girl on January 10.

But she had told one of her friends, and when they went to meet him they panicked when they saw how old he was.

They told the friend’s stepfather who went out with the girl’s father and found Quick sitting in his car.

They challenged him but after saying he was waiting for a job interview, he drove away.

Quick has been charged with possession and making of indecent images charge in December 2009.

Police were given anonymous information suggesting he had been trying to contact girls on the internet and he was arrested.

His computer was seized and it was found to contain 388 extreme bestiality images, six of which were videos.

There were also 35 images, including four videos, of children.

The court heard that he had previous charges of taking and possessing indecent pictures and these had included the children of relatives.

Michael Cogan, defending, told the court Quick had pleaded guilty even though he knew he would be going to prison.

He said: “He told me that pornography was an addiction for him and a stupid escape. He is a very lonely man who has lost a great deal.

“Custody means he will get some form of assistance. He has tried to get help in the past and failed. It is a sad situation that he is more likely to get help when he has committed an offence.”

Passing sentence, Judge Picton told Quick that he was at a high risk of re-offending and horrific though the charges were, they did not merit a public protection sentence of more than four years.

Quick was given two years imprisonment for the grooming offences and four months consecutively for possessing the images.

He will have to sign the sex offenders register.