CRAIG SEVILLE CAUGHT IN BACUP: SHOCKING CHILD SEX OFFENDER FROM OLDHAM JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND ONLINE SEXUAL EXPLOITS

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community, Craig Seville, a 37-year-old man originally from Springhead, Oldham, has been sentenced to prison for a series of heinous child sex offences. Seville, who at the time of his arrest was residing in Bacup, was found guilty of engaging in illegal online activities involving minors, including attempting to incite sexual acts and possessing indecent images of children.

The case came to light after an undercover police operation where an officer, posing as a 12-year-old girl, engaged in conversations with Seville over the internet. The court was informed that Seville, who previously operated a flying school in Blackpool, was on bail for other child sex offences when he initiated contact with the undercover officer. The interactions took place in February 2013, during which Seville admitted to multiple offences committed in Blackpool in September of the same year, while under investigation by Greater Manchester Police.

Seville pleaded guilty to several serious charges, including attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to persuade a child to watch sexual acts, and possessing as well as distributing indecent images of children. The court heard that during their online exchanges, Seville asked the supposed girl if she was interested in sexual experimentation and whether she would be willing to meet in person. On one occasion, he even exposed himself to her via webcam, giving his real age during the conversation.

Further investigations revealed that Seville’s email account had been flagged for accessing internet chatrooms and engaging in sexual conversations with young people. A warrant was executed at his residence in Oldham last February, leading to the seizure of his laptop computer. Authorities discovered a total of 436 indecent images of children stored on his device, some classified as the most severe Level 5 category. The investigation also uncovered that Seville had been involved in Skype messaging with three users who appeared to be under 16 years old.

Additionally, it was revealed that Seville had distributed indecent images to other online paedophiles. He admitted in court that he had been using chatrooms for approximately ten years to communicate with schoolgirls and minors. The police investigation also uncovered that he had engaged in sharing and viewing child abuse material over the internet, further compounding the severity of his crimes.

Judge Stuart Baker, presiding over the case, dismissed Seville’s attempt to justify his actions. The judge emphasized the real and devastating impact of such crimes, stating, “This is not the stuff of fantasy. There is no fantasy world involving abuse of children. The children depicted in the images are real children being appallingly abused by adults elsewhere in the world.”

Seville was ultimately sentenced to three years and four months in prison for his crimes, marking a significant victory for law enforcement and child protection agencies in their ongoing fight against online child exploitation.