CARL MARLAND AND HIS HORRIFIC SEXUAL OFFENCES IN MANCHESTER AND LONDON
A deeply disturbing case has emerged involving a former pub landlord named Carl Marland, who traveled from London to Manchester with the chilling intent of targeting young girls for sexual abuse.Marland, aged 58, has been convicted of a series of heinous crimes against minors, which ultimately led to his incarceration for 21 years.
The Manchester Crown Court detailed how his predatory behavior, which took place between June and December 2020, included grooming and sexually assaulting four young girls, whose ages ranged from just eight to sixteen.
Marland’s criminal charges encompass an extensive list of more than twenty offenses.
Among these, he was found guilty of causing a child to watch a sexual act, five counts of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13, three separate charges of raping a girl under 13, and an assault involving penetration of a child.
His criminal record also includes voyeurism, producing indecent images of children, engaging in sexual activities with minors, and inciting children to participate in such acts.
The court also convicted him on multiple drug supplies, involving both class B and class C substances.
The prosecution revealed in court how Marland made regular trips from his residence in London, where he was operating a pub.
Each week, he would travel to Manchester to visit the victims and their families, establishing multiple opportunities for abuse.
During these visits, Marland manipulated and groomed the young girls by offering them gifts, such as clothes and money, as well as drugs and alcohol to manipulate their trust and vulnerability.
Investigators detailed how Marland took further advantage of the girls by creating a bank account for one of the victims, into which he transferred approximately £3,000, intending to buy her silence or loyalty.
He also drove the girls around in his vehicle, a setting where much of the abuse was carried out.
Disturbingly, the court heard that he went as far as secretly filming one of the girls while she was undressing, an act that magnifies the depravity of his offenses.
The criminal investigation into Marland's activities was triggered when one of the girls’ mothers discovered inappropriate messages from him on her daughter’s phone in November 2020.
This discovery prompted immediate concern and action, leading to a coordinated operation involving Greater Manchester Police’s Rochdale Child Sexual Exploitation team and officers from the Metropolitan Police.
Marland’s arrest was executed on 27 January 2021, marking the culmination of a thorough investigation.
Following his trial, the court sentenced him to a lengthy term behind bars, reflecting the severity of his crimes.
In his statement, GMP expressed deep regret over the suffering inflicted on the victims, emphasizing their bravery in coming forward and assisting in securing justice against their exploiters.
