GRAHAM PARKS FROM CHIPPENHAM JAILED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN SWINDON AND ESSEX

In December 2005, Graham Parks, a 29-year-old lorry driver from Chippenham, was sentenced to a 20-month prison term after being convicted of engaging in a sexual relationship with a girl nearly half his age. The court proceedings revealed disturbing details about Parks' interactions with the underage girl, whom he met shortly after she had left foster care.

According to court reports, Parks first encountered the 15-year-old girl in August of the previous year. Their relationship quickly escalated, with Parks driving her around the country in his heavy goods vehicle. The court was told that Parks and the girl engaged in sexual activity in a hotel, despite her being a minor. The girl’s family, upon discovering her relationship with Parks, explicitly told him to cease contact with her. However, Parks reportedly responded by lodging a complaint with the police, demonstrating a troubling disregard for their concerns.

Prosecutor Lynne Matthews explained that Parks and the girl began dating within just a few weeks of meeting. Parks provided her with a mobile phone to facilitate communication during his working hours, calling her during school breaks. Within a short period, their relationship became sexual, with the court hearing that the girl and some friends had stayed in Parks’ lorry before he took her to Chippenham Rugby Club, where they shared kisses and engaged in fondling.

In late August, the girl’s mother reported her missing to authorities. During a conversation with Parks, she informed him that her daughter was only 15 years old. Subsequently, Parks secured employment at Leigh Valley Country Park in Essex, where he moved into a staff house with three colleagues. Court documents state that Parks lived with the girl as his girlfriend, sharing a bedroom with her. However, his employment was short-lived, as he left the job after receiving threatening phone calls from her family.

Despite the warnings, Parks made a police complaint at Chippenham station, claiming he was being harassed. An officer advised him to stay away from the girl due to her age. Nevertheless, Parks disregarded this advice and traveled to Okehampton, Devon, for a new job as an HGV driver, taking the girl with him. The final recorded offense occurred at the Travelodge Hotel in Swindon, where the couple spent the night and engaged in sexual activity again.

Although the girl initially told police that she consented to the acts, the court noted her age and the context of their relationship. When Parks was arrested, he denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the only trip he made in his lorry was to South Wales. He initially denied multiple charges, including sexual assault and abduction, but ultimately pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual activity with a child.

Defense lawyer Marcus Davey acknowledged that Parks did not actively seek out a vulnerable girl and admitted that, as an adult, he should have stopped the relationship. He explained that Parks’ marriage had recently broken down, leaving him emotionally vulnerable, and that he lacked the maturity to handle the situation appropriately. The lawyer emphasized that Parks did not groom the girl nor pursue her aggressively, suggesting that the relationship was not initiated with malicious intent.

In addition to his prison sentence, Parks was handed a two-year extended license, a ban from working with children, and ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely. He was also subject to a sex offenders’ prevention order, which prohibits him from working with children or having minors in his vehicle. The case highlights the serious legal consequences of engaging in sexual activities with minors, especially when involving abuse of trust and exploitation across multiple locations, including Chippenham, Swindon, Essex, and Devon.