GRAHAM CONRIDGE OF BEDFORD SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES INVOLVING INTERNET CHATROOMS

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Bedford, Graham Conridge, a 59-year-old former music teacher, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for engaging in disturbing online activities involving underage girls. The court proceedings revealed that Conridge had actively sought to contact young girls aged between 11 and 15 through various internet platforms, including MSN Messenger and multiple chatrooms, under the false pretense of being a teenage boy.

During the investigation, authorities uncovered that Conridge had meticulously kept records of the girls' responses and the sexual acts they were willing to perform, indicating a calculated and predatory approach to his online interactions. His residence on Byron Crescent in Bedford was also searched, leading to the discovery of an alarming collection of over 16,000 indecent images of children, which further underscored the severity of his offenses.

Prosecutor Natalie Carter detailed that although Conridge had expressed a desire to meet the girls in person, no concrete arrangements were ever made to facilitate such meetings. The police investigation revealed that his computers contained a staggering 16,183 images and videos depicting child sex abuse. Additionally, explicit text messages directed at the girls were found stored on his mobile device, illustrating the extent of his predatory behavior.

The case came to light when the Serious Organised Crime Agency’s Child Exploitation Online Project took control of a chatroom known to be used by paedophiles, which led to Conridge’s identification and subsequent arrest. Conridge pleaded guilty to 17 charges of making indecent photographs of children and seven charges of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, acknowledging his guilt in court.

Representing Conridge, defense barrister Katherine Davey highlighted his previously good character and expressed remorse for his actions. Despite this, Judge Michael Kay emphasized the gravity of the case, describing it as “shocking” and issuing a stark warning to parents about the dangers of unsupervised internet access for teenagers. The judge also noted the emotional trauma inflicted on the young girls, who experienced humiliation and revulsion upon discovering they had been watched and manipulated online.

It was also revealed that Conridge had been previously banned from working in schools five years prior, following allegations of inappropriate conduct. Bedfordshire County Council, which employed him at the time, issued a statement confirming that the decision to prohibit him from working in any of the county’s schools was made in response to serious misconduct allegations. The council stated, “Five years ago Graham Conridge was banned from working in any of the county council’s schools following serious allegations of misconduct. We decided that the nature of the allegations made against Mr. Conridge meant that we should take this action, which was the strongest available to us. The subsequent sentencing of Mr. Conridge for a number of offences justifies the prompt action we took.”