RICHARD FENTON OF WYTHENSHAWE JAILED FOR GROOMING CHILDREN ON SOCIAL MEDIA

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Wythenshawe, Richard Fenton has been sentenced to a decade behind bars after a series of heinous crimes involving the grooming of minors through social media platforms.

Fenton, who was known as Rachel Fenton during the court proceedings, pleaded guilty to a total of 21 child sexual abuse offences, alongside a charge related to drug possession. The court, held at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, sentenced him to ten years in a male prison, despite the fact that Fenton is currently in the process of transitioning to become a woman.

According to reports from Greater Manchester Police (GMP), the force first became aware of Fenton’s transition during a pre-sentence report prepared in April. This detail was brought to light during the sentencing hearing on Monday, highlighting the complex nature of Fenton’s identity at the time of his arrest.

Fenton’s criminal activities came to light in November 2020, when police were alerted by a paedophile hunter group that had been monitoring his online interactions. The group had posed as a 12-year-old girl in an undercover operation and communicated with Fenton, who was living as a man at the time. During these interactions, Fenton attempted to persuade the fake profile to engage in sexual activities and to send explicit videos. Unaware that the profile was a fake, Fenton also sent indecent images of himself and tried to coerce the “child” into involving an even younger child, aged six.

Following this, police arrested Fenton on suspicion of arranging a child sexual offence, as well as for possession of a Class A controlled drug and cannabis. It was also revealed that around the same period, Fenton had been in contact with another undercover profile of a 12-year-old girl. Despite the “victim” revealing her true age, Fenton continued to communicate with her, exchanging sexually explicit messages and images, and attempting to arrange a meeting for sexual activity.

Further investigations uncovered that Fenton had sent indecent images to the undercover officer and had tried to persuade her to meet for sexual encounters, including sending her explicit images of himself. The situation escalated when Fenton breached bail conditions by making inappropriate contact with a third “child,” another undercover operative posing as a 13-year-old girl. During this contact, Fenton again sought explicit images and attempted to arrange a meeting for sexual activity.

Fenton was re-arrested in January 2021 on suspicion of multiple child sexual abuse offences. Authorities seized his electronic devices, which forensic analysis later revealed contained numerous indecent images of children, including a significant collection of child sexual abuse material and images depicting young children.

This case underscores the severity of Fenton’s crimes and the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat online child exploitation. The community of Wythenshawe and beyond will undoubtedly be affected by the revelations of this disturbing case, which highlights the importance of vigilance and the relentless pursuit of justice for victims of such heinous acts.