ARRAN LANDLESS FROM BROCKWORTH JAILED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT ON 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL CAUGHT IN FACEBOOK STING

In January 2012, Arran Landless, a 26-year-old man residing on Boverton Drive in Brockworth, was sentenced to prison after being found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl he had met through the social media platform Facebook. The case unfolded after Landless was lured into a trap set by his former girlfriend, Sadie Smith, who collaborated with the young girl to expose his actions.

Landless, who had previously referred to himself as “Rock Father Baron Landless” on Facebook, appeared in court visibly emotional, sobbing as he was sentenced to three and a half years behind bars. In addition to his prison term, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, a measure aimed at monitoring his activities and preventing further offenses.

The court heard that Landless had denied the charge of sexual touching, claiming that the incident occurred between February 16 and March 1 of the previous year. While he admitted to having had sex with the girl, he insisted that he believed she was over 16 years old at the time. The prosecution, however, presented evidence that contradicted his claims, emphasizing that the girl was only 13 and that he had taken advantage of her.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC, who presided over the case, expressed his view that this was an exceptional offense. He stated, “In my opinion, he was approached by a girl who, in his words, was up for it, and he couldn’t resist it.” The judge highlighted that the girl had initially engaged willingly in sexual activity with Landless but later expressed regret upon discovering his true age.

The court was told that the girl had initiated contact with Landless’s ex-girlfriend, Sadie Smith, via Facebook. Together, they devised a sting operation to catch Landless in the act. The girl agreed to meet Landless, who then took her back to his home. It was at this point that Sadie Smith confronted Landless with pages from his explicit Facebook conversations with the girl. Following this confrontation, Ms. Smith took the girl and Landless to the police station to report the incident.

Prosecutor James Ward explained to the court that Landless had used flirtatious compliments to persuade the girl into having sex after they met and he brought her to his residence. Landless, in his defense, claimed that he was unaware of her true age and believed her to be at least 16 based on her exchanges of sexual banter and her physical appearance. He maintained that she appeared to be of legal age during their encounter.

During the trial, Landless’s defense lawyer, Paul Trotman, urged the judge to consider a sentence at the lower end of the three to seven-year range recommended by the Sentencing Guidelines Council. Trotman highlighted Landless’s previously clean criminal record and the positive references he had received. He pointed out that Landless had worked as a barman for three years and had reportedly been involved with 27 sexual partners, most of whom were between 17 and 19 years old. Trotman emphasized that the girl in this case was by far the youngest partner Landless had engaged with and that he had never previously had sexual relations with anyone under the age of 16.

Furthermore, Trotman noted that the girl herself had testified that Landless had behaved well and was not coercive or pressuring her into sex. He also mentioned that Landless came from a loving and supportive family background. Despite these arguments, Judge Tabor made it clear that he believed the girl was enthusiastic about her initial sexual experience and that Landless’s own enthusiasm contributed to the regrettable situation. Ultimately, the judge sentenced Landless to three and a half years in prison, emphasizing the seriousness of the offense and the need to protect minors from predatory behavior.