GRAHAM BLACKLEY FROM ROCHDALE JAILED FOR ONLINE CHILD CHAT CRIME
In August 2020, a disturbing case emerged involving Graham Blackley, a 62-year-old pensioner from Heywood, Rochdale, whose actions have shocked the local community and raised serious concerns about online safety and predatory behavior.Blackley's case was brought before Minshull Street Crown Court, where the court heard how he engaged in online conversations with what he believed was a 13-year-old girl.
However, in a chilling twist, the individual Blackley was communicating with was actually an undercover police officer posing as a minor.
Judge Bernadette Baxter described Blackley's conduct as 'sinister in the extreme,' emphasizing the gravity of his actions.
The court was informed that the messages exchanged between Blackley and the undercover officer were relatively innocuous and not sexual in nature.
Based on these messages, it was argued that Blackley might not have faced prosecution had it not been for subsequent events.
Nevertheless, the court also noted that Blackley had a prior conviction for inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, which resulted in a suspended sentence handed down in October of the previous year.
At that time, Blackley was ordered to undertake unpaid work and participate in the Horizon sex offender programme.
Unfortunately, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic prevented him from starting the programme as scheduled.
Prosecutor Hayley Bennett explained that Blackley had been in 'daily contact' with the individual he believed was a young girl between June 9 and June 18 of that summer.
Following these events, police visited Blackley's home in Rochdale the following month.
During the investigation, officers discovered that Blackley possessed a Motorola mobile device, which he had failed to disclose to authorities.
This was a breach of the conditions set when he received his suspended sentence, which included a sexual harm prevention order.
The order explicitly prohibited him from possessing such devices without police knowledge and from contacting any child under the age of 16.
Blackley later admitted to two counts of breaching the sexual harm prevention order, as well as breaching his suspended sentence.
As a result, he was sentenced to 20 months in prison.
During the sentencing, Judge Baxter expressed her disappointment, stating, 'Unfortunately even at the age of 62, you were not able to take the chance provided to you by the court.' She questioned why a man of his age would be communicating with someone of that age, especially considering he had adult daughters and grandchildren of his own.
The judge concluded with a stern warning, emphasizing that Blackley's actions marked the end of his legal opportunities and underscoring the seriousness of his breaches.
