GARY CLIFFORD OF CHESTER-LE-STREET JAILED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES NEAR FERRYHILL AND DURHAM
| Red Rose Database
Chester-Le-Street Child Sexual Abuser
In a serious case that highlights ongoing concerns about predatory behavior and breaches of protective orders, Gary Clifford, a known sex offender from Chester-Le-Street, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison on Tuesday, February 25. The conviction stems from an incident involving an underage girl in a farm field near the A167 in County Durham, an area close to Ferryhill.
Clifford’s actions marked his third violation of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (Sopo), which had been put in place to restrict his contact with minors following previous convictions. The court was told that the incident occurred on September 21 of the previous year, when Clifford met a 14-year-old girl in a rural farm field. The girl’s family had become concerned after she went missing from her home in Ferryhill, prompting a search that involved her relatives and friends.
Prosecutor Sarah Mallett detailed the events, explaining that her brother was driving past the field when he saw the girl sitting on a wall with a man who had distinctive red hair. The man appeared to place his hand over her top, which enraged the brother. He immediately wound down his car window and shouted, “Paedo!” in anger. The man, identified as Clifford, quickly rode away on his bicycle, but the girl refused her brother’s offer to give her a lift and instead called Clifford on her phone to meet him again.
Subsequently, a family search party located the girl in a nearby field, sitting on a blanket beside Clifford, who fled the scene when approached. The girl was taken back to her home, and the following day, she tearfully confided in her sister about the encounter. She admitted that she had agreed to meet Clifford, with whom she had exchanged text messages beforehand, but insisted that only she engaged in sexual activity with him during the meeting.
Police were alerted to the situation and quickly identified Clifford based on his distinctive red Mohican hairstyle. His arrest followed shortly after. During police interviews, Clifford admitted to the sexual activity but claimed that the girl had previously told him she was 16 and a half years old. However, this did not prevent the court from finding him guilty of sexual activity with a minor and breaching his Sopo on multiple occasions.
Gary Clifford, aged 23 and residing on Pelaw Road in Chester-Le-Street, had a history of sexual offenses. His previous conviction for sexually assaulting a child under 16 in November 2009 led to the initial Sopo. He had also breached this order in 2010 by contacting another underage girl via social media. His latest breach, involving the 14-year-old girl near Ferryhill, resulted in the current prison sentence.
Representing Clifford, Jane Waugh acknowledged his guilty plea and honesty during police interviews, stating, “There’s little that can be said in mitigation other than his early ‘guilty’ plea and his frankness with police when interviewed.”
In sentencing, Recorder Ian Atherton emphasized the gravity of Clifford’s actions, stating, “There are no mitigating features. You sought out and had sex with a child, who, due to her age, could not consent.” The judge also highlighted that Clifford’s previous offenses and breaches of the Sopo aggravated his case. As part of his sentence, Clifford was ordered to be registered as a sex offender for life and was prohibited from contacting girls under 16 years of age, reinforcing the court’s commitment to public safety and the protection of minors.
Clifford’s actions marked his third violation of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (Sopo), which had been put in place to restrict his contact with minors following previous convictions. The court was told that the incident occurred on September 21 of the previous year, when Clifford met a 14-year-old girl in a rural farm field. The girl’s family had become concerned after she went missing from her home in Ferryhill, prompting a search that involved her relatives and friends.
Prosecutor Sarah Mallett detailed the events, explaining that her brother was driving past the field when he saw the girl sitting on a wall with a man who had distinctive red hair. The man appeared to place his hand over her top, which enraged the brother. He immediately wound down his car window and shouted, “Paedo!” in anger. The man, identified as Clifford, quickly rode away on his bicycle, but the girl refused her brother’s offer to give her a lift and instead called Clifford on her phone to meet him again.
Subsequently, a family search party located the girl in a nearby field, sitting on a blanket beside Clifford, who fled the scene when approached. The girl was taken back to her home, and the following day, she tearfully confided in her sister about the encounter. She admitted that she had agreed to meet Clifford, with whom she had exchanged text messages beforehand, but insisted that only she engaged in sexual activity with him during the meeting.
Police were alerted to the situation and quickly identified Clifford based on his distinctive red Mohican hairstyle. His arrest followed shortly after. During police interviews, Clifford admitted to the sexual activity but claimed that the girl had previously told him she was 16 and a half years old. However, this did not prevent the court from finding him guilty of sexual activity with a minor and breaching his Sopo on multiple occasions.
Gary Clifford, aged 23 and residing on Pelaw Road in Chester-Le-Street, had a history of sexual offenses. His previous conviction for sexually assaulting a child under 16 in November 2009 led to the initial Sopo. He had also breached this order in 2010 by contacting another underage girl via social media. His latest breach, involving the 14-year-old girl near Ferryhill, resulted in the current prison sentence.
Representing Clifford, Jane Waugh acknowledged his guilty plea and honesty during police interviews, stating, “There’s little that can be said in mitigation other than his early ‘guilty’ plea and his frankness with police when interviewed.”
In sentencing, Recorder Ian Atherton emphasized the gravity of Clifford’s actions, stating, “There are no mitigating features. You sought out and had sex with a child, who, due to her age, could not consent.” The judge also highlighted that Clifford’s previous offenses and breaches of the Sopo aggravated his case. As part of his sentence, Clifford was ordered to be registered as a sex offender for life and was prohibited from contacting girls under 16 years of age, reinforcing the court’s commitment to public safety and the protection of minors.