CHARLES POYSER: NORTH SHORE SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED FOR GROOMING AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AT MANCHESTER CROWN COURT

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community, Charles Poyser, a known sex offender from North Shore, has been sentenced to nine years in prison at Manchester Crown Court for a series of heinous crimes involving child exploitation and possession of indecent images. The court heard how Poyser, 48 years old, engaged in a calculated scheme to groom a vulnerable 14-year-old girl by pretending to be a teenage lesbian online, luring her into a false sense of intimacy and trust.

Over the course of their online interactions, Poyser convinced the young girl that she was in a romantic relationship with a young woman, exchanging hundreds of messages that blurred the lines between friendship and sexual predation. In reality, he was manipulating her, encouraging her to send explicit images, which he then claimed were of himself. The girl, who was clearly underage and had expressed her feelings of loneliness and distress, was so deceived that she confided in him, saying, “When we don’t talk for hours upon end I feel so upset and alone it’s unbelievable.”

Police investigations revealed that Poyser had a long history of sexual offenses, spanning over 25 years. His criminal record includes three counts of indecent assault on underage girls, two counts of gross indecency with minors, an attempted rape of a girl under 16, and numerous child pornography offenses. Despite previous convictions and a court order issued in 2012 that prohibited him from unsupervised contact with children, Poyser continued to engage in illegal activities.

His illegal activities came to light after police raided his residence on Mayfield Road, Whalley Range, in July of the previous year. During the search, officers seized a mobile phone, which Poyser initially denied possessing. However, he later admitted that he had hidden a Huawei smartphone behind the toilet in his flat, concealed within the floorboards. The police also recovered memory sticks, memory cards, a laptop, and a webcam, which contained a vast collection of indecent images of children, totaling nearly 2,500 pictures of victims as young as five years old.

Further investigation uncovered that Poyser had exchanged a staggering 483 instant messages with the young girl, many of which contained indecent images and explicit content. He had also shared images online with other individuals involved in similar illicit activities via Skype. When questioned, Poyser claimed that his online pursuits were preferable to physical contact with victims and expressed frustration with the justice system, stating he had been “shafted by the system.”

In court, Poyser pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including making indecent images of children, possessing prohibited images, distributing child pornography, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and breaching a sexual offences prevention order. His criminal history is extensive, with previous convictions for indecent assault, attempted rape, and other sexual offenses involving minors. He has also breached his court-imposed restrictions twice before, including attending events like Blackpool Pride, where children were present, and attempting to contact a 12-year-old girl via Facebook.

Judge Martin Rudland described Poyser as “a devious and manipulative recidivist paedophile,” emphasizing the danger he poses to society. The court sentenced him to nine years in prison and ordered that he remain on license until 2029, ensuring ongoing supervision and restrictions. Poyser’s case highlights the persistent threat posed by individuals with a long history of sexual offenses, despite previous legal interventions and court orders.