PAUL WALLACE WIGAN SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED FOR GROOMING AND CHILD SEX OFFENCES
| Red Rose Database
Wigan Rapist
In October 2018, Paul Wallace, a man from Wigan, was released into the Newtown area of Wigan after serving part of his sentence. His criminal activities, however, had already come to light several years earlier, culminating in a significant conviction in March 2013.
On Friday, March 1, 2013, Liverpool Crown Court handed down a severe sentence to Wallace, who was found guilty of a series of disturbing sex offences involving two young girls. The 58-year-old resident of Whitehall Avenue, Appley Bridge, was convicted of 15 charges related to child sexual abuse but was acquitted of raping one of the girls when she was only 12 years old.
The case revealed that Wallace had engaged in grooming behaviors and sexual activities with two underage girls he met through online interactions. Evidence presented in court included video clips of the girls, aged 13 and 14, stored on his mobile phone, along with dozens of text messages exchanged with them. Wallace had falsely claimed to one of the girls that he was a wealthy 30-year-old man who drove an Aston Martin, a claim that was later proven false. In reality, he was balding, bespectacled, and arrived at meetings in a white van equipped with an inflatable mattress in the back.
The investigation uncovered that Wallace’s illicit activities began after he started communicating with an undercover police officer posing as a teenage girl in an internet chat room. Prosecutor Mark Ainsworth explained that Wallace attempted to engage in sexual activity via webcam during these online conversations. His actions included meeting one girl in person after grooming her online, which led to a sexual encounter in his van on an inflatable mattress after he picked her up from school. This girl, originally from Cannock in Staffordshire before moving to Manchester, was just 15 at the time of their meeting.
Over the following 18 months, Wallace maintained contact with her, sometimes meeting multiple times each month. Their interactions ranged from casual conversations to sexual encounters in various locations. Police found that Wallace used his mobile phone to record some of these encounters, further evidencing his predatory behavior. Text messages between Wallace and the girl from Cannock clearly indicated that he was aware she was under 16, with messages such as, “as soon as you are 16 I am getting you a flat here,” demonstrating his intent and awareness.
Wallace also met and engaged in sexual activities with a second girl, who was only 12 when they first met. He picked her up from school while she was still in her uniform, and police found video clips of her on his phone, although these were less explicit than those of the first girl. Wallace claimed he believed both girls were at least 16, but he denied having sex with the younger girl, admitting only to sexual activity with the older girl.
The police investigation was initiated after Wallace’s online conversations with the undercover officer were seized from his devices. The girls’ locations were traced through his mobile phone and computer data, revealing that one girl lived in Cannock and later moved to Manchester, while the other resided in Luton.
Prosecutor Mark Ainsworth emphasized that Wallace’s actions demonstrated a clear pattern of grooming and exploitation. He pointed out that Wallace’s false claims about his identity and wealth, along with his repeated meetings with the girls, showed a calculated effort to gain their trust and manipulate them for his own sexual gratification. The court’s verdict reflected the seriousness of his offenses, which included multiple counts of meeting a child following grooming, sexual activity with a minor, and possession of indecent photographs.
Following his conviction, Wallace was remanded in custody to await sentencing. His criminal conduct, which spanned over a year and involved multiple victims, has left a lasting impact on the young girls involved and has been a stark reminder of the dangers of online grooming and exploitation.
On Friday, March 1, 2013, Liverpool Crown Court handed down a severe sentence to Wallace, who was found guilty of a series of disturbing sex offences involving two young girls. The 58-year-old resident of Whitehall Avenue, Appley Bridge, was convicted of 15 charges related to child sexual abuse but was acquitted of raping one of the girls when she was only 12 years old.
The case revealed that Wallace had engaged in grooming behaviors and sexual activities with two underage girls he met through online interactions. Evidence presented in court included video clips of the girls, aged 13 and 14, stored on his mobile phone, along with dozens of text messages exchanged with them. Wallace had falsely claimed to one of the girls that he was a wealthy 30-year-old man who drove an Aston Martin, a claim that was later proven false. In reality, he was balding, bespectacled, and arrived at meetings in a white van equipped with an inflatable mattress in the back.
The investigation uncovered that Wallace’s illicit activities began after he started communicating with an undercover police officer posing as a teenage girl in an internet chat room. Prosecutor Mark Ainsworth explained that Wallace attempted to engage in sexual activity via webcam during these online conversations. His actions included meeting one girl in person after grooming her online, which led to a sexual encounter in his van on an inflatable mattress after he picked her up from school. This girl, originally from Cannock in Staffordshire before moving to Manchester, was just 15 at the time of their meeting.
Over the following 18 months, Wallace maintained contact with her, sometimes meeting multiple times each month. Their interactions ranged from casual conversations to sexual encounters in various locations. Police found that Wallace used his mobile phone to record some of these encounters, further evidencing his predatory behavior. Text messages between Wallace and the girl from Cannock clearly indicated that he was aware she was under 16, with messages such as, “as soon as you are 16 I am getting you a flat here,” demonstrating his intent and awareness.
Wallace also met and engaged in sexual activities with a second girl, who was only 12 when they first met. He picked her up from school while she was still in her uniform, and police found video clips of her on his phone, although these were less explicit than those of the first girl. Wallace claimed he believed both girls were at least 16, but he denied having sex with the younger girl, admitting only to sexual activity with the older girl.
The police investigation was initiated after Wallace’s online conversations with the undercover officer were seized from his devices. The girls’ locations were traced through his mobile phone and computer data, revealing that one girl lived in Cannock and later moved to Manchester, while the other resided in Luton.
Prosecutor Mark Ainsworth emphasized that Wallace’s actions demonstrated a clear pattern of grooming and exploitation. He pointed out that Wallace’s false claims about his identity and wealth, along with his repeated meetings with the girls, showed a calculated effort to gain their trust and manipulate them for his own sexual gratification. The court’s verdict reflected the seriousness of his offenses, which included multiple counts of meeting a child following grooming, sexual activity with a minor, and possession of indecent photographs.
Following his conviction, Wallace was remanded in custody to await sentencing. His criminal conduct, which spanned over a year and involved multiple victims, has left a lasting impact on the young girls involved and has been a stark reminder of the dangers of online grooming and exploitation.