RICHARD SMITH CAUGHT IN BLACKPOOL AND BRADFORD SEXUAL GROOMING SCANDAL
In May 2021, a disturbing case emerged involving Richard Smith, a man with a troubling history of sexual offenses, who engaged in grooming two young girls in the seaside town of Blackpool and also had connections to Bradford.Smith, aged 33 at the time, was found to have contacted two females, aged 13 and 15, through Facebook, despite being under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) issued in 2017.
His actions came under scrutiny when police visited his residence in Blackpool, where he broke down in tears, claiming they would find 'something on his phone.' During a court hearing at Preston Crown Court on May 19, prosecutor Richard Haworth detailed the extent of Smith’s misconduct.
An examination of his mobile device revealed that he had been communicating with two girls—one from North Yorkshire aged 13, and the other from West Yorkshire aged 15.
The 13-year-old girl was interviewed on April 22, 2018, and recounted that she had been contacted at random via Facebook by Smith approximately nine months earlier.
She disclosed that Smith had introduced himself by stating his age, and she responded with her own.
During the interview, she appeared very young, consistent with her age of 13 or younger.
She explained that their communication spanned several weeks, involving video calls, text messaging, and Facebook messages.
Smith had instructed her to keep their interactions secret.
After about five weeks, their conversations turned sexual in nature.
He complimented her by saying she was 'sexy' and had a 'good body,' and he requested nude photographs.
Although she initially refused, she eventually sent him explicit images of her vagina and breasts.
Smith then asked if she wanted to have sex with him and have children together, which she found distressing.
Further details revealed that the girl had visited Blackpool with her family to see her grandparents.
She disclosed to Smith the name of the B&B where they were staying.
Smith, claiming to work at Subway, asked her to meet him, but she declined the invitation.
He also sent her video clips of himself performing sex acts, adding to the disturbing nature of his communications.
Regarding the second victim, a 15-year-old girl, she chose not to cooperate with police investigators, which limited the evidence available.
Smith had also been in contact with a 16-year-old girl; however, since she was over the age of consent, no charges were filed concerning her.
It was noted that Smith had previously received two cautions for inciting a female child to engage in penetrative sexual activity and for failing to comply with the notification requirements of his SHPO.
The court heard that Smith, who now resides in Bradford, exhibited more issues than just alcohol dependency, with Judge Beverley Lunt warning that law enforcement would be monitoring him very closely.
Smith pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a female under 16 to engage in sexual activity.
As a result, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years.
Additionally, he is required to complete 30 days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirements and participate in a sex offenders' program.
The court also imposed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which prohibits him from having any unsupervised contact with girls under 16, aiming to prevent further harm and protect potential victims.
