JOHN PATTERSON SENTENCED IN CHESTER-LE-STREET FOR REPEATED OFFENCES AGAINST CHILDREN
| Red Rose Database
Chester-Le-Street Child Sexual Abuser
In November 2008, a man named John Patterson, with a troubling history of sexual offences, was sentenced to an indefinite term of imprisonment at Durham Crown Court for his predatory actions in Chester-Le-Street. Patterson, aged 34 and known to have been previously incarcerated twice for offenses involving young boys, was found guilty of targeting a family he encountered in a local pub, exploiting their trust to commit further crimes.
According to the court proceedings, Patterson had previously been subject to a sexual offences prevention order issued in 1999, which explicitly prohibited him from having unsupervised contact with children. Despite this, he had breached this order on eight separate occasions, leading to multiple incarcerations. His most recent release from prison was in 2007, after which he settled in the Chester-Le-Street area.
The incident that led to his latest conviction began when Patterson approached a family in a pub in Chester-Le-Street. The grandparents of the child he later targeted were present with their grandchildren at the time. Patterson, who initially introduced himself under a false name, engaged the grandparents in conversation. During this interaction, he fabricated stories about his personal life, claiming he was living in a house he inherited with his pregnant girlfriend. These claims were entirely false, as confirmed by the prosecution.
Prosecutor Alex Burns explained that Patterson did admit to having been in prison, but falsely claimed it was for a stabbing, which was not true. Before leaving, Patterson managed to obtain a mobile phone number from the family, which he later used to make contact. He arranged visits to the homes of the child's parents and grandparents, further establishing a deceptive relationship.
The court heard that Patterson was eventually invited to stay overnight with the grandparents while their grandson was visiting. During this overnight stay, Patterson lured the boy into his bedroom and committed a sexual assault by touching the child's private parts. This act of indecency was admitted by Patterson, who pleaded guilty to indecent assault and breach of his sexual offences prevention order.
Defending counsel Tony Hawkes acknowledged Patterson’s admission, stating, “He admits touching the boy outside his clothing, which is thoroughly unpleasant, but not the most serious sexual offence.” Hawkes also highlighted Patterson’s limited intellectual capacity, claiming that he found participation in a sex offender treatment program unhelpful because he understood very little of it.
Judge Chris Prince delivered a severe sentence, describing Patterson as a significant risk to the public. The judge imposed an indeterminate sentence with a minimum tariff of five years, emphasizing that Patterson would not be eligible for parole for at least two-and-a-half years. The judge further clarified that release would depend on the parole board’s assessment of whether Patterson no longer posed a danger to children, and that his release was not automatic. The possibility remained that Patterson could remain incarcerated for the rest of his life if deemed necessary to protect the public.
According to the court proceedings, Patterson had previously been subject to a sexual offences prevention order issued in 1999, which explicitly prohibited him from having unsupervised contact with children. Despite this, he had breached this order on eight separate occasions, leading to multiple incarcerations. His most recent release from prison was in 2007, after which he settled in the Chester-Le-Street area.
The incident that led to his latest conviction began when Patterson approached a family in a pub in Chester-Le-Street. The grandparents of the child he later targeted were present with their grandchildren at the time. Patterson, who initially introduced himself under a false name, engaged the grandparents in conversation. During this interaction, he fabricated stories about his personal life, claiming he was living in a house he inherited with his pregnant girlfriend. These claims were entirely false, as confirmed by the prosecution.
Prosecutor Alex Burns explained that Patterson did admit to having been in prison, but falsely claimed it was for a stabbing, which was not true. Before leaving, Patterson managed to obtain a mobile phone number from the family, which he later used to make contact. He arranged visits to the homes of the child's parents and grandparents, further establishing a deceptive relationship.
The court heard that Patterson was eventually invited to stay overnight with the grandparents while their grandson was visiting. During this overnight stay, Patterson lured the boy into his bedroom and committed a sexual assault by touching the child's private parts. This act of indecency was admitted by Patterson, who pleaded guilty to indecent assault and breach of his sexual offences prevention order.
Defending counsel Tony Hawkes acknowledged Patterson’s admission, stating, “He admits touching the boy outside his clothing, which is thoroughly unpleasant, but not the most serious sexual offence.” Hawkes also highlighted Patterson’s limited intellectual capacity, claiming that he found participation in a sex offender treatment program unhelpful because he understood very little of it.
Judge Chris Prince delivered a severe sentence, describing Patterson as a significant risk to the public. The judge imposed an indeterminate sentence with a minimum tariff of five years, emphasizing that Patterson would not be eligible for parole for at least two-and-a-half years. The judge further clarified that release would depend on the parole board’s assessment of whether Patterson no longer posed a danger to children, and that his release was not automatic. The possibility remained that Patterson could remain incarcerated for the rest of his life if deemed necessary to protect the public.