CRAIG PINNING FROM RICHMOND GROOMED 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN NORTH YORKSHIRE PUB AND RURAL AREAS

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community, Craig Pinning, a pub worker from Richmond, was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting to a prolonged period of grooming and abusing a 14-year-old girl over an 18-month span. The court heard that Pinning, who was 30 years old at the time he began his inappropriate relationship, deliberately cultivated a relationship with the young girl with the explicit aim of luring her into an adult relationship.

According to the proceedings at Teesside Crown Court, the victim would visit Pinning at his residence, where they engaged in sexual acts before she would head off to school. The court was informed that Pinning’s misconduct extended beyond his home, as he also exploited his position at a pub in Finghall, North Yorkshire, to carry out his abuse. Additionally, he used his car to take advantage of the girl, pulling into lay-bys along country roads in the scenic Yorkshire Dales to carry out further acts of abuse.

Prosecutor Philip Standfast detailed the extent of Pinning’s misconduct, stating, “For a year and a half, they maintained a sexual rather than a social relationship until she discovered that he was sleeping with another female, which prompted her to tell others.” The court was also told that Pinning’s actions were influenced by warnings from a friend, who advised him not to be “stupid” after realizing that the girl had developed a crush on him.

Pinning, who resides on Pilmoor Close in Richmond, faced multiple charges, including ten counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child and two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity. The judge, Stephen Ashurst, described how Pinning had groomed the girl by requesting explicit photographs from her and, in a disturbing turn, sending his own explicit images in return. The court’s findings paint a troubling picture of manipulation and exploitation by a man entrusted with a position of trust, now held accountable for his actions.