ALEX PREECE FROM MALVERN SENTENCED FOR SEX OFFENCES INVOLVING YOUNG GIRLS IN WORCESTER

In July 2013, a disturbing case emerged involving Alex Preece, a 20-year-old man from Malvern, who engaged in a series of disturbing sexual offenses targeting young girls through social media. Preece had initiated contact with six girls aged just 13 or 14, using Facebook as his platform of choice to groom and manipulate his victims with explicit sexual messages.

Prosecutor Michael Conry outlined the details of the case during the proceedings at Worcester Crown Court. He revealed that Preece had met with two of these girls on separate occasions. During these encounters, he kissed one girl and physically assaulted another by grabbing her breasts. These actions, along with the grooming and incitement to sexual activity, formed the core of the 14 sexual offenses Preece admitted to committing. The grooming began when Preece was just 17 years old, in 2011, and initially involved five girls whom he contacted through Facebook.

All of the victims were too distressed and embarrassed to confide in anyone about the abuse at first. The crimes only came to light when other members of one girl’s family discovered explicit messages exchanged between her and Preece. Following his arrest, Preece was issued a sexual harm prevention order, but he later breached this order by contacting a sixth girl. During this breach, he sent explicit images of himself performing a sexual act via webcam and made further sexual suggestions, including asking the girls to send him explicit pictures of themselves.

It was also revealed that all of the girls initially lied about their ages, as Facebook’s minimum age requirement is 16. However, once Preece was made aware of their true ages, he continued to send messages, showing a blatant disregard for the truth and the boundaries of the law.

Defense lawyer Adam Western stated that Preece had been held in a young offenders institution since his arrest for breaching the order four months prior. Western described Preece’s situation as one of “perpetual fear,” emphasizing that this was his first experience of custody. He expressed concern over the environment, noting that there was no vulnerable offenders wing at the facility and that Preece knew others who had committed similar crimes and had been attacked. A report presented during the case indicated that Preece posed a moderate to low risk of re-offending.

Judge Michael Cullum addressed the court, highlighting the profound impact of Preece’s actions on one particular girl. She was described as a “confident, happy-go-lucky” 13-year-old before Preece’s involvement, but her confidence was shattered, and she developed a poor self-image. The judge warned that the psychological scars could have lifelong consequences for her.

Ultimately, Preece was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, with the time already served deducted from the sentence. Additionally, he was ordered to adhere to a 10-year sexual offences prevention order, which restricts his access to children under 16. He was also mandated to register as a sex offender for life, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions to protect potential future victims.