CALDICOT MAN SENTENCED TO 3 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ONLINE GROOMING AND SEXUAL OFFENCES
A paedophile attempted to groom who he thought was a 13-year-old girl online before asking her to involve a friend so they could "have a threesome." He tried to arrange a meeting with her at a hotel and instructed her to tell staff she was his daughter if they enquired.Neil Rockliffe, 55, of Caldicot, began speaking with the girl on a dating website, but he was actually communicating with an adult pretending to be a child.
The decoy told him they were 13 years old, yet he continued the conversation despite knowing it was inappropriate.
During the court proceedings at Cardiff Crown Court, it was revealed that Rockliffe quickly steered the conversation towards sexual topics, which became increasingly explicit.
He asked the decoy if she masturbated, if she enjoyed sex, and instructed her on how to masturbate.
He also expressed intentions to masturbate simultaneously and asked for intimate photographs, later sending indecent images of himself and pornography.
The judge, Lucy Crowther, noted that Rockliffe saw himself as an 'instructor or teacher.' He attempted to arrange a hotel meeting to have sex and instructed the decoy to lie to hotel staff about her identity.
Additionally, he encouraged the decoy to introduce him to a friend, believing her to be another child, and engaged in a WhatsApp chat discussing a 'threesome.' Rockliffe, who initially claimed he was drunk during the offences, pleaded guilty to attempting to cause-incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and attempting to cause a child to view sexual images.
The court highlighted he was of previous good character but sentenced him to 37 months in prison.
He will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order at a future hearing.
