PAUL GOULDING FROM BARROW SENTENCED FOR ONLINE CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN PRESTON
In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Barrow, Paul Goulding, aged 37, has been sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of engaging in predatory online behavior aimed at young girls.The incident unfolded between February and May of the previous year, during which Goulding created a fictitious social media profile to communicate with minors, specifically targeting girls aged 12, 13, and 14.
Goulding’s scheme involved fabricating a persona as a teenage boy, under the alias James Baker from Basingstoke, in an attempt to lure vulnerable young girls into conversations.
Over the course of these months, he exchanged thousands of messages, many of which contained explicit videos and photographs, along with sexual suggestions.
His actions demonstrated a clear pattern of grooming behavior, with the intent to sexually exploit the minors he contacted.
Unbeknownst to Goulding, he was communicating with a paedophile hunting group operating undercover.
The group, led by an individual known as ‘Daz Huntz,’ managed to gather substantial evidence against him.
On July 12, 2020, Goulding was arrested after the group handed over their dossier of evidence to the police, leading to his detention and subsequent court proceedings.
During the court hearing at Preston Crown Court, the prosecution, represented by Paul Brookwell, outlined the nature of Goulding’s offenses.
It was revealed that although Goulding discussed the possibility of meeting with the girls, no concrete arrangements were ever made.
He faced 14 counts of attempted sexual communication with children, incitement to sexual activity, and attempting to incite a child to watch a sexual act.
Despite admitting to posing as a young man and engaging in these conversations, Goulding denied any sexual interest in children, claiming that his actions were driven by a desire for power rather than sexual gratification.
However, Judge Beverley Lunt was unequivocal in her assessment.
She described Goulding’s behavior as predatory and indicative of grooming.
The judge emphasized that the rapid progression to sexual and graphic conversations with girls as young as 12 and 13 clearly demonstrated that sexual gratification was his primary motive.
She condemned the images and videos he sent as ‘disgusting and highly inappropriate,’ underscoring the severity of his actions.
In her sentencing remarks, Judge Lunt sentenced Goulding to three years in prison and imposed a 15-year sexual harm prevention order.
Additionally, Goulding was ordered to remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely, reflecting the ongoing risk he poses to the community.
Notably, the case drew attention from online vigilantes, with one paedophile hunter, known as ‘Daz Huntz,’ traveling from Devon to attend the court hearing in person.
Huntz expressed his frustration, stating, “Five years in prison would be nice, but a custodial sentence is a custodial sentence.
It’s better than some.
I just want these people locked up.
I just want these people arrested and accountable for what they are doing.” Earlier in February 2021, Goulding had already admitted to multiple child sex offenses, including attempting to incite a girl under 16 into sexual activity and trying to cause a child to watch a sexual act.
He faced additional charges of attempting to incite a person to engage in sexual activity and attempting to sexually communicate with a child, all of which he admitted during a hearing at Preston Crown Court.
The court also heard from a woman acting as a decoy for an online group dedicated to exposing sex offenders, who described Goulding as a ‘very dangerous sexual predator’ and characterized his messages as ‘vile.’ Following his initial appearance before South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court, Goulding was banned from having any unsupervised contact with children.
His sentencing is scheduled for May 21, where the full extent of his punishment will be finalized, but the current proceedings underscore the serious nature of his crimes and the ongoing efforts to protect minors from online predators.
