January 2014 Paedophile escapes jail term A Goole paedophile who is a risk to the public has walked free from court with a two-year suspended prison sentence for helping to corrupt a 13-year-old girl in Scotland. Social misfit Carl Laws, 21, incited a Fife schoolgirl eight years his junior to commit gross sexual acts on herself with household objects for his own sexual gratification. When he was caught he tried to put the blame on his nephew. He collected a string of images on his Blackberry mobile phone and Samsung laptop of her in states of undress. In total he had 285 illegal and moving images. The filth was stored with the file name “birds”. A probation service report has classified him as a risk to young girls. Laws appeared for sentence at Hull Crown Court on Monday (January 27) after pleading guilty to two charges of possession of indecent pictures and two charges of grooming a school girl. He was one of up to 100 men thought to be inciting the girl between June 21 and September 11, 2012. Crown barrister Phillip Evans said the inciting offences carried a guideline of three to seven years in prison. He said the case arose out of complaint from Fife police that a 13-year-old girl had been incited into sexual activity by a string of men across the country. He said Laws had initially pretended to be a 15-year-old boy then claimed he was 14-years-old while talking over a web cam. When police knocked on his door in Goole he tried to put the blame on his nephew who had to be spoken to in order to eliminate him from enquiries. “Mr Laws was not the only enquiry in respect of this girl,” said Mr Evans “There were more than 100 enquiries as a result of what came to light in Scotland. The police took the view to take her through the pictures would be another form of abuse which they were keen to protect her from as she was only 13.” Defence barrister Pamela Coxon said Laws was a churchgoer with “devilment” inside him.. “It is conceded in the police station he did not admit what he was up to and he did cast suspicion elsewhere,” said Mrs Coxon. “Clearly he made matters worse for himself. This is a man who is socially isolated, socially inept. This is a young man in desperate need of assistance to deal with his issues. He was only 20 and she was 13. The sentencing guidelines envisage direct contact between the complaint and the defendant. In this case this was an offender whose behaviour was over the airwaves by computer from Goole to Fife. “These cases are far too common. He may be back before the courts if we don’t help him now.” Sentencing, Judge Simon Jack told Laws: “You are 21 and not been in trouble before, but I have to deal with you for serious offences. I have had to think long and hard if there was any way I could avoid sending you straight to prison. Your advocate has persuaded me I can just avoid sending you to prison. In your case it was contact over the internet at a distance. It seems unlikely there was ever going to be any face-to-face contact. I also take into account the girl was indulging in similar activities. You may not have been the only one that corrupted her. I have taken in to account your age, guilty plea and letter from the church. I accept you were frank with the probation service.” He ordered Laws should be given a two-year suspended prison sentence, suspended for two years. Laws was also given a two-year community order and a requirement to take part in the sex offender’s treatment programme plus 200 hours of un-paid work. He was also made the subject of a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order and must sign on the Sex Offenders’ register for 10 years.