ANDREW ETHERINGTON'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN BANBURY: GROOMING AND SHEEP PORNOGRAPHY REVEALED
In July 2022, a disturbing case involving Andrew Etherington, a resident of Banbury, came to light, exposing a series of heinous crimes that shocked the local community and beyond.Etherington, who aspired to be a professional photographer, was found to have engaged in grooming underage girls through social media platforms.
His illicit activities were uncovered when a paedophile hunting team operating a decoy Facebook account reported his explicit conversations to the authorities.
The team had been engaging with Etherington, who was 51 years old at the time, and their reports prompted a formal investigation by Thames Valley Police.
According to court proceedings at Oxford Crown Court, Etherington had been communicating with two Facebook profiles managed by paedophile hunter groups.
During these interactions, he targeted what he believed to be underage girls, attempting to establish inappropriate contact.
In one instance, he asked a girl, who claimed to be 14 and living in Manchester, if she would be interested in having her photograph taken.
He proposed paying her ten pounds for five photographs, suggesting she could also sell them online.
These conversations took place over a series of voice calls, during which Etherington expressed a desire to avoid leaving a written record of his intentions.
In another conversation, he engaged with a second girl, also claiming to be 14 years old.
He suggested they meet in person and asked her to compile a list of activities to do together, encouraging her to think about personal and imaginative ideas.
He also inquired about the rules for meeting, indicating a calculated attempt to arrange an encounter.
Further investigation into Etherington’s computer revealed more disturbing evidence.
Authorities discovered extreme pornography depicting sexual acts involving a man and a sheep.
The material was classified as extreme pornography, which is illegal to possess.
Additionally, the forensic analysis indicated that Etherington had been searching the internet for information related to sexual abuse of teenagers, highlighting a disturbing pattern of interest.
When questioned by police, Etherington claimed that his intention was to become a photographer but admitted that he could not afford professional models.
He stated that he had asked Facebook friends to model for him, some of whom were underage, while others were over 18.
He insisted that his conversations with the decoy accounts were merely “general chat.” Regarding the specific request for photographs, he refused to comment when asked if he had solicited naked images from the girls.
His responses were limited, and he maintained a stance of non-cooperation during the police interview.
Etherington faced serious charges, including two counts of attempting to facilitate a child sex offence and possession of extreme pornography.
He pleaded guilty to these charges, which led to his sentencing.
Judge Michael Gledhill QC sentenced Etherington to two years in prison, suspended for two years.
As part of his sentence, he is required to complete a sex offender treatment programme and must adhere to a seven-year sexual harm prevention order.
He will also be registered as a sex offender for ten years.
The conditions of the order stipulate that any breach—such as failing to notify authorities of his address or violating the terms of the order—could result in up to five years’ imprisonment if prosecuted at the Crown Court.
Furthermore, if Etherington breaches his suspended sentence by failing to comply with probation or committing another offence, the original two-year jail term could be enforced in full, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.
