DAVID WILKINSON FROM BLYTH AND NEWCASTLE JAILED FOR REPEATED CHILD SEX OFFENCES

In June 2022, David Wilkinson, a man with connections to Blyth and Newcastle, was once again brought before the courts following a series of disturbing offences involving online predatory behavior towards minors. Wilkinson, who previously gained notoriety for his attempts to meet a child for sex and was branded a 'very high risk to children,' has now been sentenced to a significant prison term after engaging in further illegal activities.

Wilkinson's criminal history includes a notorious incident in 2019 when he posed as a General Practitioner (GP) to lure a 13-year-old girl into meeting him. During that incident, he was caught on camera attempting to flee from paedophile hunters Dark Justice, who had set up a sting operation. The footage captured Wilkinson running along a road and through a field, falling twice in his frantic attempt to escape. Despite working for the health service, Wilkinson was not a qualified doctor, and his actions drew widespread condemnation.

He was subsequently sentenced to 16 months in prison, with an additional ten years on the sex offenders register and a sexual harm prevention order imposed. His previous conviction did not deter him, as he was assessed as a 'very high risk to children,' a designation that underscores the severity of his predatory tendencies.

In the latest case, Wilkinson, now aged 43 and residing on Jubilee Road in Blyth, Northumberland, was found guilty of engaging in sexual communication with an undercover police officer he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. Prosecutor Alec Burns outlined to Newcastle Crown Court that Wilkinson had been released from prison in May of the previous year. Despite being on licence, he resumed online chatting with a profile that claimed to be a teenage girl in September.

According to Mr. Burns, Wilkinson initially believed he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl, but in reality, he was speaking with an undercover officer. The conversations quickly escalated, with Wilkinson making inappropriate comments about the girl being 'sexy' and expressing a desire to meet her. During the exchanges, Wilkinson boasted about his sexual preferences, stating, 'Haha, young girls like you,' and openly admitted to being a 'naughty man who likes young girls.'

He proposed to buy the girl pink gin, expressed love for her, and suggested they could have sex at his house. Two meetings were arranged, but Wilkinson failed to attend either, using a false name during the conversations. When police searched his house, they discovered a mobile phone that was internet-enabled and should have been declared under his sexual harm prevention order, but he failed to do so.

Wilkinson pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including attempting to have sexual communication with a child, attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, breaching his sexual harm prevention order, and failing to comply with notification requirements. Judge Edward Bindloss sentenced him to three years and nine months in prison, with an extended five-year licence period. The judge described Wilkinson as a 'dangerous' offender and reiterated that he posed a 'very high risk to children.'

Reflecting on Wilkinson's past, it is noted that he was involved in similar offences in 2020, with two previous convictions for related crimes. His repeated offending highlights the ongoing threat he poses to vulnerable minors and underscores the importance of vigilant law enforcement and community awareness in combating such predatory behavior.