HIRUSHA HENRICUS SHOCKS MANCHESTER WITH SQUASH COACH GROOMING AND SEXUAL ABUSE SCANDAL
In April 2017, a disturbing case of online grooming and sexual abuse involving a prominent squash coach from Manchester came to light, culminating in a lengthy prison sentence for the offender.Hirusha Henricus, aged 26, who was well-known within the local sports community, was convicted of a series of heinous crimes that exploited his position of trust and authority.
Henricus had meticulously crafted a false online persona, creating a female alter ego named 'Chloe' on social media platforms such as Skype and Facebook.
His intent was to deceive young boys who trained under him, luring them into believing they were communicating with a flirtatious young woman who was genuinely interested in them.
This deception was part of a broader scheme to groom and manipulate these vulnerable children for his own sexual gratification.
Several victims, all of whom were students receiving squash lessons from Henricus, were coerced into performing sexual acts on webcam at his behest.
They believed they were engaging with 'Chloe,' unaware that it was in fact their coach watching and directing their actions.
The coach's manipulative tactics extended further, as he attempted to persuade some victims that they were gay, further confusing and destabilizing their sense of identity.
One particularly disturbing incident involved Henricus raping a 14-year-old boy in the disabled toilets of a sports arena, an act that left lasting psychological scars.
The impact on the victims was profound.
One 14-year-old boy, still struggling to come to terms with his experience, revealed that he felt unable to confide in his family due to shame.
He described how Henricus's actions had severely affected his mental health, leading to suicidal thoughts, depression, and sleepless nights.
Another victim, aged 15, developed a gambling addiction and turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism.
A third, also 15, expressed feelings of betrayal and violation of privacy, now suffering from panic attacks.
Police investigations began in 2014 after a father, suspicious about his son's online interactions, discovered explicit conversations between his son and Henricus on Facebook.
The father had initially believed his son was communicating with a Russian woman on Skype, but upon inspection, he found explicit images and messages exchanged between his son and the coach.
This discovery prompted a thorough investigation that uncovered Henricus's pattern of predatory behavior.
Authorities revealed that Henricus had preyed on at least ten young boys aged between 11 and 15, including seven squash players.
He used four different aliases, including another alter-ego named Tina, to conceal his true identity.
Police found evidence of his contact with victims on Skype, where he posed as 'Chloe' and encouraged them to perform dares and engage in sexual activities.
One message read: 'Hi, are you going to go again when we play dares?
Any dare?
You will do it?
Don’t worry, they will all be in your room, can you do them now?' Henricus, known as Rosh within the community, had a background rooted in squash, having started playing at the age of eight.
He moved to the UK from Sri Lanka and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming chairman of the City of Manchester Squash Club at just 17.
He also worked as a coach at the Manchester Sports and Leisure Ethiad Campus, coaching children aged five to 15, while studying for a Sports Development degree at the University of Bolton.
His involvement in the sport extended to assisting at the UK Junior Open squash championship.
During the trial at Manchester Crown Court, Henricus pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including rape, sexual grooming, engaging in sexual activity with a child, causing children to watch sexual acts, and possessing indecent images of children.
The court heard how he had exploited his position of influence, using fictitious female identities to deceive and manipulate his young victims.
Prosecutor Mr.
Alaric Bassano described Henricus as a proactive and enthusiastic coach who, under the guise of friendliness, sought to corrupt and exploit the innocence of his young charges.
One victim, an 11-year-old aspiring squash player attending three training sessions weekly, was deceived into believing he was meeting a girl online.
His father became suspicious when he learned his son was exchanging hours of messages with an 'older Russian girlfriend.' Upon inspecting the messages, he was horrified to find naked images of a teenage girl and his son’s own nude photos, along with expressions of love.
It was later revealed that Henricus had used the fake identity to groom and manipulate the boy.
Another 14-year-old, initially viewing Henricus as a 'cool guy,' was subjected to persistent questioning about his sexuality outside training sessions, which led to him feeling emotionally coerced into engaging in sexual acts, including being raped in a sports centre toilet.
A third victim, aged 15, believed he was chatting with 'Chloe' on Skype and was later asked to participate in a threesome, receiving links to gay pornography.
Despite his guilty plea, Henricus refused to comment during police interviews but continued to pester one of the victims even after being arrested and bailed.
As part of his sentencing, he will be on licence until 2036 and is required to register as a sex offender for life.
It is anticipated that upon completing his sentence, he will face deportation from the UK.
Judge Jinder Boora, presiding over the case, condemned Henricus’s actions, stating: 'Each of these children was vulnerable due to their age, but all of that was lost on you when you offended in this manner.
Your popularity was your modus operandi, and it is clear to anyone that what you did to these boys was evil.
I consider you a very dangerous man.'
