ALLAN SPRATT AND DEAL: CONVICTED PEDOPHILE SENTENCED FOR INDECENT IMAGES AND GROOMING OFFENCES

In June 2021, Allan Spratt, a convicted paedophile from Deal, was sentenced to two years and five months in prison at Canterbury Crown Court for possessing indecent images of children. The court heard that Spratt was pleased to be caught with the horrific images because he believed he was close to targeting a new victim.

During the police raid on his Deal home, officers uncovered a disturbing collection of images and videos on his Samsung phone. Prosecutor Robin Griffith explained, "In police interview he said he was glad he was caught because he was on a slippery slope to commit a contact offence with a child."

Spratt, 46, has a prior conviction for the rape of a child 12 years earlier. He had posed as a 13-year-old boy online to groom a young girl over several months, convincing her he was her boyfriend. When they exchanged pictures, Spratt claimed he had a rare disease that made him look older and later told her he loved her.

He persuaded her to go to Sheffield for a shopping trip, where he took her to see a Disney film and out for a meal. Subsequently, he convinced her to stay with him in a budget hotel, where he raped her three times.

After confessing to a family member, Spratt was arrested and pleaded guilty to the rape in 2010. He received a six-year sentence and was registered as a sex offender.

In December of the previous year, Kent Police received information that Spratt was downloading indecent images at his mother's house. The police found images across categories A, B, and C, along with videos, and discovered that Spratt had conducted persistent internet searches using disturbing terms like 'jailbait.'

Spratt, who runs an eBay business, admitted feeling he was close to making contact with a child during the police interview. Judge Mark Weekes described Spratt's behaviour as "absolutely blatant" and highlighted the suffering of the children depicted in the images.

Following these recent offences, Spratt, of Westerhout Close, Deal, pleaded guilty to multiple charges including three counts of possessing indecent images, three counts of creating indecent images, breaching notification requirements, and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

In a separate case from December 2009, Spratt posed as a teenager on an internet chat site, befriending a 14-year-old girl from Yorkshire. Using a fake photo, he lured her into a relationship, which culminated with sexual activity in a hotel. He was 34 at the time, residing in Westerhout Close, Deal, and previously from Cuckoo Lane, Ashford.

Spratt admitted to three counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming and two counts of sexual activity with a child. He also faced six charges of possessing indecent photos of children. The court initially remanded him into custody for sentence, but Judge Adele Williams, after reviewing his comments to a probation officer, postponed sentencing for a psychiatric assessment.

Prosecutor Denzil Pugh explained that the girl became suspicious due to some sexual comments, prompting Spratt to alter his story and claim to be 23. He continued pursuing the relationship, persuading her to meet him, and taking her out in northern England in August, where they shared a meal, went to the cinema, and engaged in sex at a hotel—some with condoms, claiming her menstrual cycle made pregnancy unlikely. The relationship continued with another meeting later that month.

A family friend of the victim noticed her depression and learned of her confessions, leading to police involvement. During police interviews, Spratt admitted that he joined the teenager chat line because he felt more comfortable with younger individuals and struggled with his identity as a predator. His wife had also grown suspicious, noting his hours spent locked away with his computer. She discovered young girls’ underwear, sanitary products, creche registration cards, CCTV footage, and a DVD containing 22 indecent images, which was handed over to police.

Further investigations revealed that Spratt had watched child pornography for about a year, storing images from file-sharing sites. Authorities clarified there was no evidence of distribution. Spratt had previous convictions for theft when working for the Post Office.

Both the victim and her mother submitted impact statements expressing concern over the lasting trauma caused. Considering all circumstances, the judge expressed unease about Spratt's remarks during pre-sentence discussions and ordered a psychiatric report prior to sentencing.