JOHN CARD FROM IPSWICH JAILED FOR GROOMING TEEN BOYS IN SHOCKING CASE
A 76-year-old man from Ipswich, John Paul Card, has been sentenced to three years in prison after a series of disturbing encounters with teenage boys, which included attempts to groom them despite existing legal restrictions.The court heard that Card, who had a prior conviction for sexual touching and sexual activity with a child in 2011, was subject to a sexual harm prevention order designed to limit his contact with minors under 18.
However, he repeatedly breached this order through a pattern of inappropriate approaches and conversations with young boys in Ipswich.
One of the incidents took place in February of this year at the Old Cattle Market bus station in Ipswich.
There, Card approached a 16-year-old boy and inquired whether he would be willing to mow his lawn.
After obtaining the boy’s phone number, Card later sent him messages, expressing his intention to visit the boy at the pub where he worked.
This unnerved the teenager, especially since he had never disclosed his place of employment to Card.
Despite multiple messages asking the boy to mow the lawn, the teenager became suspicious after researching Card’s name online.
Recognizing the potential danger, he contacted the police to report the incident.
In a separate case in 2023, Card targeted a 15-year-old boy who was distributing leaflets for a fundraising event for a school trip to Ecuador.
The leaflets requested only a £1 donation via a GoFundMe page.
However, Card appeared at the boy’s home with £40 in cash, which he handed over personally.
The boy expressed his gratitude, but later, Card sent him a letter offering additional money and indicating his desire to support other fundraising efforts.
The boy’s mother provided a victim impact statement during the court proceedings, describing how her son’s experience with Card had caused emotional distress.
She stated, “My son was subject to persistent pestering by Mr Card in what should have been a positive and rewarding endeavour.
The harassment has taken a toll on his emotional wellbeing and the incident left him feeling unsettled and wary of future interactions with strangers.” Further troubling behavior was revealed from 2022, when Card approached a 17-year-old boy at a bus stop.
He sat uncomfortably close to the teenager, causing concern.
The boy, suspicious of Card’s intentions, looked up his name online and reported him to the authorities.
Card was subsequently arrested and released on bail for this incident as well.
Judge Richard Kelly addressed the court, noting that Card’s conversations with the boys involved subtle but calculated probing into their boundaries and sexual preferences, which left the young victims shaken.
The judge emphasized the seriousness of the breaches and the potential harm caused by Card’s actions.
As a result, he was sentenced to three years in prison.
Additionally, the court considered a previous suspended sentence from 2020 for similar offences, which was partially activated and served concurrently with the current sentence.
Card is currently residing on Jervis Close, Holbrook, and his actions have been met with strong condemnation from the legal system and the community alike.
