NICHOLAS ALLEN FROM ROCHDALE SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE PLOT IN KENT

In a case that has shocked the community, Nicholas Allen, a 54-year-old former social worker from Rochdale, has been sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of plotting to commit a child sex offence. The incident unfolded when Allen traveled from his home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, to the village of Leybourne in Kent, with the apparent intention of engaging in sexual activity with an eight-year-old girl.

According to court proceedings at Maidstone Crown Court, Allen believed he was meeting with the mother and stepmother of the young girl. He had been led to believe that these women, who had told him they were in a lesbian relationship, would facilitate the act. However, the women were actually undercover police officers from the Kent police force, and Allen was promptly arrested upon his arrival.

During the hearing, it was revealed that Allen had pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating a child sex offence between April 9 and May 15 of the same year. The court was informed that he had also admitted to planning to have penetrative sex with the eight-year-old girl. Earlier in the proceedings, Allen had pleaded guilty to the specific charge of arranging or facilitating a child sex offence, indicating his acknowledgment of the criminal intent.

Prosecutor Serena Gates explained that Allen claimed he was gathering evidence of alleged abuse to present to the police when questioned about his online and text message exchanges with the undercover officers. Initially, his conversations were cautious, but as he grew more confident, Allen discussed what he would like to do to the girl and inquired about how to meet up with the women to carry out the abuse.

Further disturbing details emerged when Allen asked about protections for all parties involved, referencing the case of Stuart Hall, the former BBC broadcaster convicted of child sex offences. The court was told that Allen expressed concerns about the legal consequences, asking, “no-one wants to end up next to Stuart Hall.”

Allen’s arrest took place on May 14 after he met with the officers, and during police questioning, he revealed that he had been a social worker for 30 years but had been dismissed for sending inappropriate messages to a 15-year-old girl. The court also learned that Allen had previously received a caution for a sexual assault on a teenager.

Defence lawyer Kieran Moroney described Allen as having suffered a breakdown in his late 40s and early 50s, which contributed to the deterioration of his personal life, including the end of his marriage. Moroney emphasized that Allen, despite being characterized as a “sexual deviant,” expressed remorse and described his actions as stemming from stupidity, naivety, and anger with himself.

Judge David Griffith-Jones sentenced Allen to four years in prison, with the requirement that he sign the sex offenders’ register indefinitely. Additionally, Allen was subjected to a sexual offences prevention order (Sopo), and it is highly likely that he will be barred from working with children by the relevant statutory authorities. The judge made it clear that Allen’s offending was sexually motivated and dismissed any claims that he was involved in some kind of research or crusade to expose perpetrators of child abuse, stating that such assertions were entirely untrue. The court concluded that Allen’s criminal activities were calculated and carried out over a significant period, underscoring the seriousness of his actions.