Colin Smith of Everton Street, Darwen has been jailed for 12 years for a series of child sex offences.
Appearing at Minshull Crown Court yesterday Smith pleaded guilty to 11 charges against five victims, including offences of meeting a child following sexual grooming, making and distributing indecent images of children, and sexual activity with a child.
On Tuesday 19 August 2020, Smith was arrested when he returned to a hotel room in Bury, in which he was putting up two teenage girls who had been reported missing at the time, to find GMP officers waiting for him.
Colin Smith was a calculated individual who created multiple social media accounts and aliases, identifying as a teenager, to lure his victims into trusting him.
Following his arrest, numerous devices belonging to Smith were seized which uncovered further victims of grooming, evidence of possession and distribution of Indecent Images of Children (IIOC), and extreme pornography.
Detective Chief Inspector Ian Partington said: “Firstly, I would like to publicly recognise the courage of the two young girls who were staying in the hotel room – they made contact with someone they could trust, which enabled us to safeguard them and, ultimately, secure this prosecution.
“Smith’s behaviour towards the victims was nothing short of sickening – in some cases, he plied them with alcohol in order to commit abhorrent and depraved offences. His prosecution and imprisonment should reassure our communities about our commitment to fighting this type of crime and keeping vulnerable people safe.”
Constable Carly Baines of GMP’s Sexual Crime Unit said: “Today’s sentencing is the result of a long, meticulous investigation by our complex safeguarding hub. Smith’s behaviour is deplorable and completely unacceptable, and I hope this result sends a stark warning to offenders that these behaviours will not be tolerated by GMP.
“I would like to thank the victims for their resilience and bravery in reporting this incident to the police and giving us the opportunity to put a dangerous and depraved man in prison, and I hope this sentencing will now allow the victims to be able to move forward with their lives.”
