MICHAEL RODHAM FROM STOCKTON JAILED FOR ONLINE CHILD SEX OFFENCES

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Stockton, Michael Rodham, aged 56, was convicted of engaging in a series of heinous online crimes involving the exploitation of underage girls. The offences came to light after Rodham, who resides on Newton Walk in Stockton, used the internet to pose as a female modelling agent, luring two teenage girls into a web of deception and abuse.

Rodham's scheme was meticulously planned. He created a fictitious identity, claiming to be Sharon Jones, a woman who supposedly ran a modelling agency. Over the course of June and July last year, he communicated with the girls through online messaging platforms, convincing them that he was training them to become professional models. He even fabricated details about having a photography studio and promised one girl a modelling career, including a promise to spend £500 on clothes for her. These false promises were part of his manipulative tactics to gain their trust.

As the conversations progressed, Rodham persuaded one of the girls to pose and strip for him via webcam, requesting her to send explicit pictures of herself for his own sexual gratification. The girl later expressed her feelings in a statement read out in court, saying, “I feel very angry that I’ve been taken advantage of and I wonder how many other girls have been subjected to the same lies.”

He also asked the second girl to pose in inappropriate and sexually explicit ways. To further deceive the victims, Rodham used online maps to falsely claim he was from their local area, despite never having visited Stockton or the surrounding region. His true identity was uncovered only after the father of one of the girls reported his suspicions to the police.

Rodham’s arrest took place on September 13, following the discovery of incriminating evidence. Police found two photographs of one of the girls on his mobile phone, along with 18 indecent images of children stored on his computer. It was revealed that police had previously searched his residence on Newton Walk and had arrested him eight months earlier, on January 13 of the previous year.

During the earlier search, authorities uncovered a vast collection of illegal material—specifically, 1,054 indecent images of children stored across various computers and storage devices. These images included girls’ names and email addresses, indicating a premeditated and organized collection. The images ranged in severity, with more than 130 classified at the most serious levels under law, along with 134 extreme pornographic images and 44 prohibited images. The police investigation revealed that Rodham had been accessing websites that offered child pornography, downloading these images predominantly of pre-pubescent children between 2007 and 2011.

Rodham admitted to having an unhealthy interest in children, acknowledging that he had surfed the web for such images, saved and copied them, and even contacted children over the internet. His actions demonstrated a clear pattern of predatory behavior and exploitation.

Following his arrest, Rodham was released on unconditional bail. However, he subsequently obtained another computer and continued his deceptive activities, using the false identity of a modelling agent to manipulate the two girls. His criminal conduct culminated in a guilty plea to 30 charges, including inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, possessing and making indecent images of children, possessing prohibited and extreme images, and other related offences.

During the court proceedings, Duncan McReddie, defending Rodham, highlighted the public’s alarm over such crimes, noting that they often lead to violence and social unrest. He emphasized the importance of reform and rehabilitation, pointing out that Rodham, who works in the security industry and has a previously good character, might not normally face imprisonment for his offences.

Nevertheless, the judge, Recorder Tahir Khan QC, delivered a stern sentence, stating, “This amounts to a gross breach of trust in which you deliberately deceived two young girls. These were pre-planned and carefully executed offences. Only a significant and immediate sentence of custody can be justified.”

Rodham was sentenced to three and a half years in prison. Additionally, he will be subject to a lifelong ban from working with children, a sexual offences prevention order, and registration on the sex offenders’ register, all of which will remain in effect indefinitely. The case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by online predators and the importance of vigilance in protecting vulnerable young people from exploitation.