PAUL WILLIAMS FROM CARNFORTH ESCAPES JAIL AFTER PERVERTED PLEA IN COURT

In June 2012, a disturbing case involving Paul Williams, a 24-year-old man from Carnforth, unfolded in Preston Crown Court. Williams, who resides at Croftland Gardens in Carnforth, was found to have engaged in highly inappropriate and illegal online behavior, targeting young girls and attempting to solicit explicit images from them.

Williams suffers from a growth disorder that leaves him standing at just 4 feet 8 inches tall. His physical condition was highlighted during the court proceedings, with the judge noting that his disability had contributed to his social difficulties. Court reports described Williams as a “terribly lonely young man” who struggled to establish meaningful adult relationships. His social isolation was compounded by bullying he endured while working as a mechanic, where colleagues would mock him by throwing his shoes into inaccessible areas and ridiculing him on social media platforms such as Facebook.

The prosecution, led by Mr. Cummings, detailed how Williams befriended a 13-year-old girl from Oxfordshire via an online website in December 2010. During their interactions, Williams falsely claimed to be 17 years old, although he was actually 22 at the time. Despite the girl’s profile clearly indicating her age, Williams continued to pursue her, requesting her phone number and persistently sending her text messages. His messages increasingly demanded she send photographs of herself, initially requesting a simple picture of her face. Over time, these requests escalated, with Williams adding credit to her phone to encourage her to send more explicit images, which he later downloaded onto his computer.

Further evidence revealed that Williams reciprocated by sending indecent images of himself and even suggested they should meet in person. The girl’s father eventually discovered the inappropriate images and contacted the police, leading to Williams’s arrest. During the court hearing, it was also revealed that Williams had exchanged explicit photographs with a 14-year-old girl from Staffordshire and a 15-year-old girl from Burnley, the latter incident occurring while Williams was on bail.

Williams, who had no prior criminal record, pleaded guilty to charges of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and possession of indecent photographs of children. His defense lawyer, Mr. Hart, requested that Williams be dealt with through a community order, emphasizing his client’s struggles with self-loathing, fear of meeting people in real life, and reliance on the internet for relationships. Mr. Hart described Williams as a man who, due to his disability, had led a life much younger than his years and felt unable to meet women in conventional ways.

It was also noted that Williams had served a week in custody earlier that year, during which he was reportedly physically abused and subsequently lost his job. The judge, Anthony Russell, acknowledged that Williams had come “very close indeed” to being sent back to prison, describing his actions as “very foolish and naive.” However, the judge also expressed the view that Williams required help rather than punishment.

As a result, Williams was sentenced to a three-year supervised community order, which includes participation in a sex offender treatment program. The court also imposed strict restrictions: he is banned from having unsupervised contact with children under 16, working with children, and using the internet without recording. Additionally, Williams was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for five years, reflecting the seriousness of his offenses and the need for ongoing monitoring.