CHICHESTER PAEDOPHILE RYAN MORISON SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES

In April 2019, a disturbing case unfolded at Portsmouth Crown Court involving Ryan Morison, a 32-year-old man from Chichester, who was convicted of a series of heinous child sex offences. The court heard how Morison, described as a 'lonely' predator, was found guilty of attempting to groom young boys as young as 13 for sexual activities, using inappropriate and predatory chat-up lines such as 'you are hot.'

The proceedings revealed that Morison’s criminal behavior was uncovered in 2017, following an investigation into online activities. Police linked him to a disturbing online relationship with a man who was under investigation for streaming live videos of himself abusing his own children. During the investigation, Morison’s own dark obsession with child abuse was exposed through his online communications.

Prosecutor Timothy Moores detailed how Morison’s comments included disturbing admissions, such as being 'aroused by seeing babies crying and screaming' while being raped. These revelations came to light during the police’s efforts to trace the online conversations that led to Morison’s arrest in September 2017.

Authorities seized Morison’s electronic devices, including an iPad, phone, and desktop computer. The forensic analysis uncovered hundreds of graphic images depicting child abuse, with search terms like 'very young boys' indicating his interest. The images were categorized into various levels of severity, with 126 classified as Category A, 137 as Category B, and 274 as Category C. Additionally, 14 images were prohibited, and Morison had distributed a significant number of these images—86 Category A, 110 Category B, and 131 Category C.

Further investigations revealed that Morison engaged in live chats where he sent explicit images of himself to boys and discussed sexual acts. During these conversations, he would ask if he could have sex with the boys or perform indecent acts, often sending images of his genitalia. The court heard about graphic discussions involving the rape of a baby, with Morison’s online contacts sharing such disturbing content before he responded with his own images.

In court, Recorder Michael Bowes QC sentenced Morison to 30 months in prison. Morison, who pleaded guilty to multiple charges—including three counts of making indecent images, three counts of distributing such images, possession of indecent images of a child, and attempts to engage in sexual activity with a child—was left in shock as the sentence was announced. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for ten years, which imposes strict restrictions on his access to children and computers, aiming to prevent further harm.

Morison’s case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat online child exploitation and the importance of vigilance in protecting vulnerable children from predators operating in digital spaces.