Teacher Jailed for Grooming Teens via Secret Chat Apps
Calum Lacey, 33, from Southampton, has been locked up for two years after pleading guilty to grooming teenage girls online.
The former teacher admitted to communicating with and encouraging a girl under 16 to send sexual messages. He used auto-delete apps Telegram and Wickr, alongside Discord for video chats, to target his victims between October 2020 and March 2021.
Disturbing Abuse Exploited Online
Lacey also confessed to causing another underage girl to engage in sexual activity through online conversations between March and July 2020.
Authorities highlighted that Lacey held a position of trust as a teacher in the Alton area, making his abuse even more shocking.
“Lacey was in a privileged position of trust as a teacher, yet he encouraged a teenage girl to send him sexual messages online,” said Acting DS Heather Tack of the Child Abuse Investigation Team.
“These two girls have been so brave throughout the investigation and court process. Now that Lacey is in custody, hopefully, they can find some closure.”
“We take all forms of child abuse extremely seriously, and I hope this result shows how hard the Child Abuse Investigation Team works to keep children safe from sexual predators.”
Sentencing and Safeguards
- Lacey was arrested in March 2021 and charged the previous November.
- He was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
- He received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years—breaching it counts as a new offence.
- Lacey will be on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.
If you or someone you know is a victim of child abuse, contact the police on 101.
