MATTHEW TAYLOR JAILED IN NORTHAMPTON FOR PREDATORY ONLINE BEHAVIOR

In March 2016, Matthew Taylor, a 24-year-old from High Street, Silverstone, was sentenced to prison after being found guilty of a series of disturbing online offences. The court heard that Taylor, described as a 'sadistic' paedophile, deceived a young girl into sending a naked picture of herself by impersonating Liam Payne, a member of the boy band One Direction. He used this false identity during online chats, targeting young girls aged between 13 and 19.

Prosecutor Victoria Rose explained that Taylor was arrested after his victim's mother discovered alarming messages on her daughter's phone. Investigators revealed that Taylor's devices contained around 200,000 messages, many of a sexual and illegal nature. They also uncovered evidence that Taylor searched for indecent images of children.

Taylor employed multiple disguises and created various email and social media accounts to lure and communicate with his victims. One of his identities was that of Liam Payne. During one interaction, Taylor convinced a teenage girl he was the pop star and asked her for a nude photo, promising to call her afterward and claiming he was writing a song about her.

Additionally, Taylor impersonated a teenage girl, using a female’s picture to deceive other victims. The court heard he also distributed indecent images of children to other offenders online and even encouraged an assault on a toddler.

Her Honour Judge Adrienne Lucking described a particularly disturbing exchange between Taylor and a man in the USA, where they discussed plans to abuse a child as 'sadistic and revolting.' Taylor also tricked another teenage girl into sending an explicit image by threatening to post it on social networks and porn sites, with the judge commenting, "There was clearly a tormenting and sadistic tone in the messages you sent to her. It could not have been more embarrassing, distressing or humiliating for a teenage girl."

Evidence also revealed Taylor possessed 42 Category A, 13 Category B, and 82 Category C indecent images of children. He also had an extreme obscene image of himself performing a sexual act with a dog, which he boasted about online.

Mitigating, Dominic Woolard stated that Taylor was a man with 'limited sexual and relationship experience' who had been bullied at school, had few friends, and used the internet as a form of escapism, which eventually led to criminal behavior.

Judge Lucking condemned Taylor’s use of an false identity to pose as an international pop star, describing his actions as 'predatory.' She remarked, 'One of your victims really believed you were Liam Payne. You used a false identity to cover up your real age and identity. It shows the lengths you were prepared to go to ensure young girls engaged and spoke with you.'

The judge concluded Taylor demonstrated a 'predatory sexual interest in young girls' and engaged in 'deceptive and manipulative' conduct to exploit their vulnerability.

Taylor received a cumulative sentence comprising five years for encouraging sexual assault on a child, two years for distributing indecent images of children, five years for blackmail, eight months for possessing indecent images, and four months for possessing an extreme pornographic image; all these sentences are to run concurrently.

He was also sentenced to four years for inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, with an additional four-year extended license period due to being deemed 'dangerous.' The judge specified that Taylor must serve at least two-thirds of his sentence—approximately two years and eight months—before parole eligibility. Finally, he was placed under an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and added to the sex offenders’ register.