PAUL CLARKE FROM WORCESTER JAILED FOR GROOMING 15-YEAR-OLD IN SHOCKING CASE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Worcester, Paul Clarke, a 39-year-old shop worker from Selborne Road, Barbourne, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after being convicted of grooming a 15-year-old girl for sexual purposes. The incident, which took place over a period of several weeks, involved Clarke sending the young girl up to 20 messages daily through both email and text messaging, creating a pattern of persistent communication that ultimately led to a meeting near her home.

According to court proceedings, Clarke’s relentless efforts culminated in a planned rendezvous, but the girl, demonstrating courage and awareness, thwarted his intentions by bringing a friend along and refusing to enter his vehicle. This act of resistance prevented what could have been a more serious outcome, and the incident was reported to authorities.

Clarke was found guilty by a jury of meeting a child after grooming her for sexual purposes, a crime that was committed approximately two months prior to his conviction. Despite the verdict, Clarke maintained his innocence, but Judge Andrew Geddes was unequivocal in his assessment, stating, “Whatever you may say, it was to have some sort of sexual contact with the girl.”

Prosecutor Michael Aspinall highlighted that Clarke had a prior history of allegations, including accusations of rape and indecent assault in 2005, from which he was cleared. During his time living in a bail hostel in Worcester, Clarke reportedly became friendly with a known sex offender who had a record containing 25 offences against children. As a precaution, the court imposed a strict 10-year sexual offences prevention order, explicitly forbidding Clarke from any association with the convicted sex offender.

In addition to the prevention order, Clarke was disqualified from working with children under 16 for life and was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for a period of 10 years. The three-day trial revealed that Clarke had bought the Redditch-based teenager an £11 bracelet and expressed his affection by telling her she meant the world to him. He also claimed he wanted to be her “soul-mate” and warned her to keep their interactions secret.

The girl’s parents, suspicious of her recent communications, discovered her emails and promptly alerted the police. During police interviews, the girl explained that Clarke’s messages made her feel good about herself and helped her cope with bullying at school. However, a victim impact statement presented in court indicated that the girl’s confidence and trust in others had been significantly damaged since the incident.

Defence lawyer Richard Bond argued that Clarke was transparent about his age and intentions, noting that his partner was aware of the text exchanges and had visited him in jail while awaiting sentencing. Mr. Bond emphasized that Clarke, described as immature, never attempted to physically pull the girl into his car or engage in any physical assault, characterizing the offence as “at the lower end of the scale of seriousness.”

Ultimately, the court’s decision reflected the gravity of grooming offences, and Clarke’s sentence aims to serve as a warning to others about the dangers of such predatory behaviour within the Worcester community.