ANDREW RAINE FROM SKIPTON CAUGHT IN SEX OFFENDER SCANDAL INVOLVING INTERNET CHAT AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

In a disturbing case that highlights the dangers of online predators, Andrew Raine, a railway enthusiast from Skipton, was caught in a police operation involving internet-based child exploitation. The incident came to light after Raine, 32, was found to have engaged in inappropriate online conversations with minors and possessed a significant amount of illegal material.

According to court reports, Raine was already on bail for a similar offense when he attempted to incite a child into sexual activity. The police investigation revealed that he was in possession of an indecent movie featuring a child, along with photographs and a total of 46 images classified as child abuse material. These findings were uncovered during a search of his residence on Ramshaw Drive in Skipton, where officers also noted that Raine had previously admitted to inciting a child to engage in sexual acts and possessing indecent images of children.

The case was further complicated when Raine was lured into an online chat by a self-proclaimed paedophile hunter, who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. During the conversation, Raine attempted to engage the fictitious girl in sexual discussions and requested explicit images, including fetishist pictures of feet. It was later suggested that Raine may have realized he was communicating with a man, but the attempt to pursue sexual contact was already in motion.

Prosecutor David Bradshaw detailed that Raine had engaged in sexual internet chats with two boys aged 12 and 13 back in February 2016. He believed he was talking to an underage girl and asked for explicit photographs, which led to the boys reporting his conduct to the police. Raine was subsequently traced to his Skipton address on March 1 of the following year. When questioned by officers, Raine was accompanied by an appropriate adult but chose to remain silent, refusing to answer questions.

Following his arrest, authorities found disturbing material on his devices, including a Category A indecent movie of a child, a Category B photograph, and 46 images categorized as Category C child abuse images. Despite being on bail, Raine continued his online activities, which ultimately led to his arrest and subsequent court proceedings.

Judge Neil Davey QC sentenced Raine to a three-year community order, which includes participation in an accredited sex offender treatment program. Additionally, Raine is required to sign the sex offender register for five years. The court also imposed a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which prohibits him from having any unsupervised contact with children and restricts his employment involving children. His use of computers and online activity will be closely monitored to prevent further offenses.