PETER MAY FROM HARLOW AND HYDE SENTENCED FOR GROOMING TEEN AND POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

In a disturbing case that spans multiple locations including Harlow and Hyde, Peter May, aged 48, has been convicted and sentenced for serious offenses involving the sexual grooming of a minor and the possession of indecent images of children.

May, who currently resides in Hyde, lives just a short distance from a primary school, a public swimming pool, and a private nursery, all within 200 yards of his home. His previous residence was in Harlow, where he was known to have connections before moving to Hyde.

The criminal proceedings against May revealed a troubling pattern of behavior that began in 2007 when he first engaged with a teenage girl through an internet chatroom. The girl, whose identity is protected for legal reasons, was only 14 years old at the time. During their online interactions, May repeatedly asked her to meet in person and sent her explicit images of himself. In return, he received indecent photographs of the girl, further escalating the inappropriate relationship.

Despite their online exchanges, the pair only met physically on two occasions in Southend, where no sexual activity took place. The girl, feeling increasingly uncomfortable and harassed, made efforts to avoid further contact. However, May continued to pursue her, orchestrating accidental meetings when she was with friends and family, and he was with his own. He also showed a picture of the girl to another woman, adding to the troubling nature of his conduct.

The case took a serious turn when police officers, during a routine visit to May’s home to ensure he was complying with the conditions of his suspended sentence, uncovered him in a compromising state. They found him naked from the waist down, browsing images of young girls on the internet. A subsequent search of his computer revealed over 800 images of the girl, along with numerous other indecent images of children. These findings led to his immediate arrest.

May’s criminal record includes a previous conviction from 2008 for performing a sex act in front of a child, for which he received a 12-month suspended sentence. At the time of the latest offenses, he was serving that suspended sentence, which was activated and added to his current sentence.

During the court proceedings, May’s defense argued that he was battling a sex addiction and claimed he had been abused as a child himself. However, the judge, John Lodge, was clear in his judgment, stating that May had no reasonable grounds to believe the girl was over 16. The judge sentenced him to 16 months for the five charges related to grooming and possession of indecent images, and he activated the previous 12-month suspended sentence to run consecutively, resulting in a total prison term.

Additionally, May was issued a sexual offences prevention order for ten years and will remain on the sex offenders register for the same duration. His convictions include one count of meeting a child following sexual grooming, one count of making 860 indecent images of a child, 40 counts of making indecent images, one count of showing indecent images, and incitement to distribute such images. His criminal activities have caused significant concern given his proximity to vulnerable locations in Hyde and Harlow.