OLDHAM OFFENDER RACHAEL LARKMAN AND STEVEN KEARSLEY INVOLVED IN CHILD ABUSE SCANDAL
In October 2021, a disturbing case emerged involving two residents of Oldham, Greater Manchester, who became entangled in a web of child exploitation and inappropriate communications.The case centered around Rachael Larkman, a 38-year-old mother of two, and Steven Kearsley, aged 35, whose actions prompted a serious criminal investigation and subsequent court proceedings.
It was revealed that Larkman had shared explicit images of children with her boyfriend, Kearsley, in a misguided attempt to preserve their twisted romantic relationship.
The police investigation uncovered that Larkman had acquired and distributed indecent images of minors, which she then sent to Kearsley after he expressed an obsession with communicating online with a young girl.
The court heard that Kearsley, who has previously appeared as an extra in the television soap opera Emmerdale and in a BBC drama about Christine Keeler, had a history of engaging in inappropriate online behavior.
During the court proceedings at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court, Larkman admitted to the charge of distributing indecent images of children.
Due to her learning difficulties, she was sentenced to a 18-month prison term, suspended for two years.
Additionally, she was subjected to an 8 pm to 6 am curfew for three months and was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years.
Kearsley, on the other hand, was convicted of engaging in sexual communications with a minor and encouraging the sharing of indecent images.
He was sentenced to 12 months in prison and was also ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register for ten years.
Furthermore, he was placed under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting his future conduct.
The investigation was initiated in June 2018 after police learned of Kearsley's inappropriate messages to a 12-year-old girl.
This led authorities to Larkman, who was interviewed by police in October 2019.
During her interview, she described Kearsley's obsession with speaking to a young girl she knew and his interest in whether she had a boyfriend.
Kearsley denied any wrongdoing, but the evidence collected included numerous messages and photographs exchanged between the two.
Prosecutor Robert Smith outlined that Kearsley's requests for nude photographs were driven by his sexual interests, and Larkman admitted to sending between eight and ten such images.
The court also heard that Kearsley had contacted a teenager via Snapchat, asking for nude pictures, which further implicated him in the case.
Both defendants met through the dating website Flirtomatic in 2013 and began a casual relationship characterized by a 'friends with benefits' arrangement.
Kearsley's online profile described him as someone who does not require much convincing to do something reckless.
His acting career included work on promotional stunts for the 100th episode of The Walking Dead and a role as a white walker in Dead Factor, a zombie talent show featuring Louie Spence.
During sentencing, Judge Miss Recorder Anna Vigars QC acknowledged Larkman's vulnerabilities and her efforts to address her issues.
She emphasized her remorse and the courage it took for her to testify against Kearsley.
The judge highlighted that her actions were motivated by a desire to maintain her sexual relationship with Kearsley.
In contrast, the judge criticized Kearsley's lack of remorse, stating that his requests were rooted in his own sexual desires and that his behavior was a direct result of his perverted interests.
The court made it clear that without Kearsley's actions, these offenses would not have occurred, and he was warned that his conduct posed a significant risk to the safety of minors.
