KYLE GARNER FROM RUNCORN ADMITS TO CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN CHESTER COURT

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Runcorn, Kyle Garner, aged 20, of Chester Road, Preston Brook, appeared before Chester Crown Court to face serious allegations related to child exploitation and indecent images. Garner pleaded guilty to multiple charges that highlight his involvement in attempts to incite and facilitate child abuse through online platforms.

On Tuesday, Garner admitted to three significant offences. The first involved an attempt to persuade a minor, believed to be 14 years old, to engage in sexual activity. This incident was alleged to have occurred on June 17, 2021, when Garner asked the individual to send nude photographs of themselves. The second charge related to an incident on December 1, 2021, where Garner was involved in arranging or facilitating an act that he intended would involve the abuse of an eight-year-old child through penetration. The third offence involved encouraging or assisting another internet user to send indecent images of children, which took place on February 12, 2022.

Cheshire Police revealed that the activity related to the 'arranging or facilitating' offence was uncovered through an investigation into a chatroom. In this online space, Garner was actively trying to persuade others to commit offences against children. Notably, no specific victim was identified in connection with this particular charge, and the incident involving the alleged 14-year-old girl was determined to involve an adult decoy used by authorities to catch offenders.

Garner’s criminal record includes previous appearances at North Cheshire Magistrates’ Court in Warrington, where he entered guilty pleas to seven additional charges on March 21. These charges primarily involved the possession and creation of indecent images of children, with a total of 770 images across various categories. Specifically, he was charged with making 269 Category A images, 272 Category B images, and 229 Category C images. Other charges included distributing indecent images, possessing prohibited images of children, and possessing extreme pornographic material involving animals. These offences were committed on April 1, 2022.

Following his initial court appearance, Garner was granted bail under strict conditions, including signing the sex offenders register, a requirement he continued to meet. He was scheduled to be sentenced on May 26, with the judge, Simon Berkson, requesting a pre-sentence report and careful consideration of sentencing guidelines.

As the case progresses, the community remains concerned about the implications of these offences and the ongoing legal proceedings against Kyle Garner, whose actions have brought to light the dark underbelly of online child exploitation in the Runcorn area.