LIONEL WINSON AND CHILLING CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN DERBY
A pensioner from Derby, Lionel Winson, who has a troubling history of offenses involving child sex crimes, has recently pleaded guilty to a fresh set of 17 similar charges.The details of his latest crimes reveal a disturbing pattern of attempting to contact underage girls through online platforms and possessing graphic, illegal images depicting child abuse.
The 78-year-old man was found to have failed to disclose his social media accounts to authorities, which was a requirement due to a court order stemming from his past offenses.
This omission was specifically related to platforms such as WhatsApp, Kik, and Snapchat, and was a violation of the strict monitoring and reporting conditions imposed on him.
The breach came to light during the investigation of his recent activities, which included attempting illicit communication with minors.
Recalling Winson’s criminal past, he was previously sentenced in 2009 for trying to establish contact with a 13-year-old girl.
Interestingly, this girl was an undercover police officer engaged in a sting operation.
The court documents show that Winson was convicted of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, as well as possessing indecent images.
At that time, he received a prison sentence of three years and three months.
The incident took place in London’s St Pancras railway station, where Winson believed he was meeting a young girl, who, in fact, was a police officer posing as a minor.
In the wake of his 2009 conviction, the courts also imposed a sexual harm prevention order against him in 2014, under which he was legally obliged to inform police about any social media accounts he created, along with providing the corresponding passwords.
Despite these legal requirements, Winson failed to comply with the order and did not disclose his accounts on popular social media platforms.
The recent charges against him include four counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with minors, linked to four different victims.
Additionally, Winson was charged with breaching his sexual harm prevention order, attempting to breach it again, and failing to comply with the sex offender registration requirements.
One of the counts also involved making indecent images of children.
On Monday, May 15, during a court session at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court, the judge decided to grant Winson bail while his case was prepared for the higher crown court.
The magistrates explained that the seriousness of the offenses necessitated a transfer to crown court, where a more comprehensive pre-sentence report will be prepared.
They also warned Winson that he must report to St Mary’s Wharf police station within three days and adhere strictly to all bail conditions, with any breach potentially leading to his remand.
The magistrates emphasized the gravity of the allegations, noting that the same individual had been previously convicted for grooming and attempting to contact minors, as well as possessing illegal images.
His behavior demonstrated ongoing risks that warranted serious judicial scrutiny.
Winson is scheduled to appear before Derby Crown Court for sentencing on June 19.
His case remains closely watched, given his prior convictions and the disturbing nature of his recent conduct, which continues to pose a significant concern for community safety in Derby.
