AUSTIN KITCHEN SHAMES BOLTON WITH SEXUAL GROOMING SCANDAL
Austin Kitchen, the managing director of an influential technology company based in Bolton, has become the center of a disturbing grooming and online sexual misconduct case that has shocked the local community and raised serious concerns about online safety and child protection.Kitchen, aged 36, who is married and a father of two, used social media platforms, specifically Snapchat, to target vulnerable teenage girls.
Under the guise of a 25-year-old man, he sent explicit messages and shared provocative images, including pictures of his luxury Tesla and BMW cars, to lure and manipulate young victims.
His actions spanned from April to November 2017, during which he engaged in inappropriate and sexual conversations with at least three girls, including a 15-year-old girl who was particularly targeted.
One of the victims, a 15-year-old girl, was subjected to daily compliments and received numerous gifts from Kitchen.
He repeatedly told her, "You look really hot," and expressed his desire to engage in sexual activity with her, saying, "I want to sleep with you, bend you over and throw you on the bed." His inappropriate comments did not stop there; he also made lewd remarks to another girl aged 14, telling her she had "nice boobs." The case came to light after the father of one of the victims discovered the explicit messages on his daughter's phone.
This discovery prompted immediate police action.
During the investigation, authorities seized Kitchen’s mobile device and uncovered a disturbing collection of content, including a pornographic video featuring an unidentified girl aged between 15 and 17, pleasuring herself.
These findings added to the evidence of his predatory behavior.
Prosecutors detailed how Kitchen maintained contact with the victims over several months, often encouraging them to send photographs, including images in school uniforms, and promising gifts such as clothing and electronic devices.
For instance, he purchased a North Face coat and leggings for the 15-year-old girl, claiming he wanted to cheer her up, but his true intentions were far more sinister.
He repeatedly urged her to meet him in person, despite her age and the obvious risks involved.
One of the first meetings took place at local shops in Leigh, where Kitchen brought cigarettes for her and gave her money, asking if she liked it.
On another occasion, he met her at Boothstown, giving her and her friend a lift to the park.
Unbeknownst to her, her father had started checking her Snapchat account and found messages that revealed Kitchen’s disturbing intentions.
These messages included phrases like "are you not ready yet?
Looking sexy as f..k in your uniform?" and "things I’d do would be so bad," which caused immense distress to the girl and her family.
Further investigations revealed that Kitchen had also been communicating with two other girls from the south of England.
One girl recounted how he offered to buy her pizza and asked for her address, sending pictures of his cars and face, and requesting cheeky pictures in return.
He even mentioned driving down her way and suggested meeting at a hotel, though she chose not to meet him.
The third girl received gifts of Pandora earrings and was asked for pictures with them.
Kitchen knew her age, 14, from her Instagram account, and made inappropriate comments about her body, asking which part she liked and telling her she had "nice boobs." Throughout the investigation, Kitchen’s lawyer, Steven Swift, argued that his client was struggling to discuss the allegations and was attempting to address his issues.
Despite this, Kitchen admitted to inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual communication with a minor, and possessing indecent images of children.
At Bolton Crown Court, Judge Richard Gioserano sentenced Kitchen to a 10-month jail term, suspended for two years.
The judge emphasized that Kitchen’s behavior involved grooming tactics, including the use of gifts to manipulate and entice the girls, and highlighted the significant age disparity and the fact that Kitchen lied about his true age.
The judge acknowledged Kitchen’s long-standing relationship of nearly 20 years with his partner and his role as a family man and managing director, but stated that these factors did not excuse his actions.
In addition to the suspended sentence, Kitchen was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, adhere to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years, and register as a sex offender for ten years.
He was also required to pay prosecution costs amounting to £1,800.
The court recognized the profound emotional harm inflicted on the victims and expressed reservations about Kitchen’s genuine remorse, noting that he appeared to be fearful of confronting his distorted sexual thoughts.
Since his arrest, Kitchen has been living away from his family, residing with his parents in Horwich near Bolton, and has been separated from his partner of two decades.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by online predators and the importance of vigilance in protecting vulnerable youth from exploitation and grooming.
