BERNARD GRACE FROM WYTHENSHAWE JAILED FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE AND ONLINE EXPLOITATION IN MANCHESTER

In May 2023, a disturbing case involving the sexual exploitation of children abroad has come to light, revealing the heinous actions of Bernard Grace, a 72-year-old man from Wythenshawe. Grace, who led a largely solitary life, was confined to a wheelchair following the amputation of his leg. His only means of communication with the outside world was through his Apple MacBook Air, which played a crucial role in uncovering his criminal activities.

Grace’s family, including his eight children, have been estranged from him for some time and reside miles away in Scotland. This physical and emotional distance kept his dark secrets hidden from his relatives and the wider community. However, his clandestine activities eventually drew the attention of law enforcement agencies.

In October 2020, the National Crime Agency (NCA) initiated an investigation into a series of suspicious financial transactions. These payments, made from a Halifax bank account, involved up to 600 transfers totaling nearly £21,000. The funds were directed to various Filipino women, some of whom were under investigation for sex trafficking offences. The investigation soon pointed to Grace’s involvement, leading authorities to his residence in Wythenshawe.

Law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Grace’s home, where they seized his laptop for examination. The digital forensic analysis uncovered a horrifying pattern of depraved abuse. Officers sifted through thousands of Skype messages across 23 chat conversations, revealing that Grace had been directing and manipulating Filipino women to live stream the sexual abuse of children. These messages painted a disturbing picture of a man deeply involved in facilitating and encouraging such heinous acts.

Months later, in March 2021, Grace was found at his computer engaged in the same illicit activities when his offender manager unexpectedly walked in. This confrontation confirmed his ongoing involvement in the abuse. Grace admitted to numerous offences, including arranging or facilitating child sex offences and creating indecent images of children. His actions led to his eventual conviction and imprisonment.

During the court proceedings at Manchester Crown Court, it was revealed that Grace had initially communicated with the women via Facebook before transitioning to Skype for video calls. Prosecutor Rosalind Scott-Bell explained that Grace’s interactions with these women were often motivated by financial gain, claiming they were trying to improve their lives and those of their children through education.

One particularly disturbing case involved Grace telling a woman, who had a five-year-old daughter, that he would send her money if she performed an indecent act. He also sent her an inappropriate picture and instructed her to show it to her child, subsequently sending her £15. In another instance, Grace asked a woman if he could pay her rent, but his condition was that she send him a picture of her nine-year-old daughter. He then transferred two payments totaling £35.

The court heard of a chilling message exchange spanning over 1,000 messages between August and September 2019, where Grace offered money in exchange for children performing indecent acts. He sent payments via PayPal and even shared an indecent image of himself. The evidence indicated that Grace encouraged the women to set up live streams of their children being abused, offering additional money for such 'live shows.' He paid one woman £173 for these activities.

Grace’s persistent and predatory behavior was evident in the volume of messages he bombarded women with, sometimes exceeding 5,000 messages, urging them to send inappropriate images of their children. Authorities also discovered multiple indecent images of children stored on his computer. Further investigation revealed that Grace was receiving disability benefits into the same bank account from which he made these illicit payments.

When questioned by officers, Grace claimed he had no access to children and insisted he had never traveled to the Philippines. He stated he worked as a coach driver for 20 years but had to stop after suffering kidney failure and losing his leg. He admitted to transporting children during his employment but denied any direct involvement in abuse.

He also claimed limited internet knowledge, stating he spent about four hours daily on Facebook, focusing on seeking relationships rather than social media use. He admitted to exposing himself over webcam and receiving unsolicited images. When asked about his demands, Grace justified his actions by saying, “Just to push it, you know what they are like in the Philippines. You know sex over there doesn’t mean nothing to them, they have sex when they’re 11.”

Between 2015 and 2021, Grace sent more than £20,800 to the women he communicated with. His offender manager observed him in 2021, shortly after his arrest, where he was seen using a computer and seemingly liaising with women in the Philippines about the sexual abuse of children. The prosecutor emphasized that these children were vulnerable due to their impoverished circumstances.

In sentencing, Recorder Anthony Donohue expressed his condemnation of Grace’s actions, highlighting the exploitation of impoverished children in the Philippines. He stated, “What you did involved the exploitation of vulnerable and impoverished individuals in the Philippines. It’s staggering that over a period of time you sent £20,800 in payments for sexual services involving the exploitation and attempted exploitation of children.”

Grace, residing on Stoneacre Road in Wythenshawe, was sentenced to eight years in prison. He pleaded guilty to 11 charges related to arranging or facilitating child sex offences and two charges of making indecent images of children. Additionally, he was subjected to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting his internet use, and will be on the Sex Offender Register for life.