PETER THORLEY OF LONGTON SENT SEXUAL VIDEOS TO 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN STOKE-ON-TRENT AND BECAME GROOMER

In June 2019, Peter Thorley, a man residing in Longton, was sentenced to prison after being convicted of serious sexual offenses involving a minor. The case revealed a disturbing pattern of grooming behavior directed at a 14-year-old girl, with Thorley exploiting his position and trust to manipulate the young victim.

Thorley, aged 46 at the time, was employed by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, working within the outdoor markets division. His inappropriate relationship with the girl developed over several months, during which he cultivated a false sense of friendship through social media platforms. The court heard that Thorley initially exchanged messages with the girl, giving her gift vouchers and engaging in seemingly innocent conversations. However, this contact soon took a darker turn as he began to send her explicit videos.

Prosecutor Peter McCartney detailed the sequence of events during the trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. He explained that Thorley sent the girl two sexual videos. The first video depicted a woman performing a sexual act on a man, but the girl did not open this particular clip, and Thorley was acquitted of that specific charge. Two days later, Thorley sent her a brief, six-second video that showed a woman’s bottom manipulated to resemble a snowman’s face, accompanied by the caption, “Do you wanna build a snowman?” This message was a reference to the popular Disney film Frozen. The girl did not respond to this message, but Thorley continued his attempts to groom her.

On one occasion, Thorley took the girl into his office, closed the door, and asked her if their relationship was not good or if they were no longer friends. This made her feel uncomfortable. He then sat beside her, expressed his affection by saying he liked her, and even told her that if he were 16 again, he would ask her out. The court heard that Thorley hugged her and kissed her on the cheek during this encounter. Additionally, he obtained Stoke City football tickets for the girl and her father, and at Christmas, he gifted her a Stoke City jacket, further blurring the boundaries of appropriate conduct.

The police became involved after the girl confided in a school friend, who then alerted a teacher about the situation. Thorley, when questioned by authorities, claimed that the girl was attempting to ‘latch on to him’ and denied sending any explicit videos. Despite his denial, evidence was presented that proved otherwise.

Thorley, of Bridgewood Street, Longton, faced charges of causing a child to view an image of sexual activity. He denied two counts but was found guilty of one after a trial at North Staffordshire Justice Centre in the previous month. The court’s judgment was clear: only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate given the severity of his actions.

Judge Paul Glenn sentenced Thorley to 18 months in prison. The judge also imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered him to register as a sex offender for the next ten years. In his remarks, the judge emphasized the damage caused to the victim, noting the evidence of grooming and the significant age disparity. He stated, “You have lost your good name. There was evidence of grooming and there was a significant age disparity. The aggravating factor is the effect it had on the victim.”

Earlier in May 2019, Thorley, then aged 44, was dismissed from his role at Stoke-on-Trent City Council after it was revealed that he had been bombarding a 14-year-old girl with online messages and sexual videos over several months. His employment in the council’s outdoor markets was terminated due to his inappropriate conduct. The court also heard that Thorley, who also worked as a car park steward at the Bet365 Stadium, had sent three inappropriate messages to the girl over three days, including a photo of a man in underwear in front of a Christmas tree and the snowman captioned image.

Despite claiming that he sent the images by mistake, Thorley’s explanations were dismissed as implausible by District Judge Timothy Boswell, who found him guilty. The judge stated that Thorley’s actions indicated a clear attempt to groom the girl for his own gratification, and that his behavior was both manipulative and predatory. Thorley, who now works for Pets at Home, awaits sentencing at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, where the full extent of his criminal conduct will be formally addressed.