LEE CRABTREE OF SOUTH SHIELDS CAUGHT IN PLOT TO GROOM TEEN GIRLS USING SOCIAL MEDIA

In a disturbing case that highlights the dangers of online grooming, Lee Crabtree, a 27-year-old man from South Shields, was sentenced to prison after being caught in a sting operation orchestrated by a vigilant mother. Crabtree, who has been wheelchair-bound since childhood due to spina bifida, had been actively engaging with underage girls across the United Kingdom through various social networking platforms, attempting to groom them for sexual purposes.

It was the mother of a 13-year-old girl who took matters into her own hands. Disguising herself as a teenage girl under the alias ‘Sweet as Candy,’ she created a trap designed to lure Crabtree into revealing his intentions. The mother arranged a meeting at Newcastle’s Haymarket Metro station, instructing Crabtree to wear loose clothing and be prepared for a clandestine encounter. She then contacted the police, who monitored the situation closely.

Crabtree, who resided on Felton Avenue in South Shields, traveled to the designated location and waited for approximately an hour. His presence was captured on CCTV footage, confirming his arrival at the scene. As soon as he was identified, law enforcement officers moved swiftly to arrest him at his home. During the investigation, authorities discovered evidence on Crabtree’s phone indicating contact with a fourth girl, whom he had also attempted to manipulate into sexual activity, explicitly asking her to remove all her clothes.

Newcastle Crown Court heard detailed accounts of Crabtree’s online activities. Prosecutor Gavin Doig explained that Crabtree had contacted four girls, aged between 11 and 13, through social media platforms aimed at teenagers. Under the false identity of a 19-year-old, he expressed love and made obscene propositions, including requests for a threesome involving one of his victims’ friends. One particularly alarming aspect of his behavior was his threat to take his own life if a girl refused to meet him, demonstrating a disturbing level of manipulation and desperation.

Crabtree’s defense attorney, Andrew Finlay, acknowledged his client’s guilty plea at an earlier hearing, emphasizing that Crabtree’s actions were primarily conversations with girls located hundreds of miles away. Finlay argued that Crabtree’s behavior was more akin to grooming rather than any physical assault, and that when his advances were rebuffed, the girls ceased communication. He stressed that Crabtree’s guilty plea was intended to spare the victims from the ordeal of giving evidence in court.

Judge John Evans sentenced Crabtree to 12 months in prison, condemning his online conduct and the ease with which social networking sites facilitate such behavior. The judge praised the girls for their maturity in recognizing the wrongfulness of Crabtree’s actions and commended their bravery in handling the situation. Addressing Crabtree directly, Judge Evans stated, “This is behavior that cannot be tolerated.”

In addition to his jail term, Crabtree was handed a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) and was ordered to register as a sex offender for the next decade. The court’s decision underscores the serious nature of his offenses, which included four counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two counts of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. The case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing risks posed by online predators and the importance of vigilance in protecting vulnerable minors.