DANIEL SULLIVAN, FROM QUEDGELEY, JAILED IN GLOUCESTER FOR GROOMING TEEN BOY

In December 2011, Daniel Sullivan, a 20-year-old from Lanham Gardens, Quedgeley, was sentenced to prison after grooming a teenage boy for sexual activity. The victim, who was under 16, was targeted through an MSN chatroom, where Sullivan claimed to be gay and shared that he had also experienced a recent bereavement. Sullivan persuaded the boy to meet him a few days later, and they met near Sullivan’s home before walking to a wooded area in Kingsway. When Sullivan attempted to engage in sexual activity, the boy felt numb and too frightened to resist.

The victim later deleted Sullivan from his MSN contacts, but Sullivan reinitiated contact two weeks later, suggesting they meet again. The victim’s older brother, suspecting inappropriate contact, borrowed the boy’s mobile phone and arranged a meeting with what he believed was his brother. In truth, the brother was speaking with Sullivan, who thought he was meeting the teen. Sullivan was confronted and detained by the brother and his father, who carried out a citizen’s arrest.

Court proceedings revealed that Sullivan admitted to grooming the boy, engaging in sexual activity with him, inciting him to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to incite similar acts. DNA evidence was found on a condom in the location the victim described as their meeting place.

During sentencing, Judge Jamie Tabor highlighted that despite Sullivan's Asperger’s Syndrome, he was aware that his actions were criminal, particularly given the fact that the victim was a teenage boy and that Sullivan had taken his virginity. The judge ordered Sullivan to serve three years in prison, register as a sex offender for life, and imposed a five-year sexual offence prevention order prohibiting contact with children.

Judge Tabor commended the victim’s family as 'very supportive' and noted the impact on the boy, who now feels less confident and has seen his school performance decline. Sullivan’s defense, represented by Ruth Armstrong, argued that he is an immature man with Asperger’s and a previously good character, which was acknowledged by the court.