BURNLEY SEX OFFENDER SAMUEL MCLACHLAN CAUGHT IN DISTURBING ONLINE GROOMING PLOT

In July 2018, a disturbing case of online grooming and sexual misconduct unfolded in Burnley, involving 30-year-old Samuel McLachlan. The incident came to light when authorities revealed that McLachlan had been engaging in inappropriate communications with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old boy, but who was actually an undercover police officer operating a fake Facebook account. This revelation prompted a thorough investigation into McLachlan’s activities and his apparent disregard for the safety and well-being of minors.

According to court proceedings, McLachlan had accepted a friend request from a profile named 'Ross' on June 24. The following day, he initiated a conversation by asking personal questions such as whether Ross had a girlfriend, and whether he identified as gay, bisexual, or straight. Ross, posing as a 13-year-old, responded that he was 13 years old. McLachlan then disclosed that he was 16 and bisexual but expressed a preference for boys. The conversation quickly took a disturbing turn when McLachlan inquired about Ross’s circumcision status, sent an explicit photograph, and asked the teenager to exchange similar images.

As the dialogue progressed, McLachlan attempted to manipulate the situation further by asking Ross if he liked to cross-dress and if he would be willing to meet in a public toilet to wear a skirt, revealing his deviant sexual interests. When Ross explained he could not send a photo due to restrictions with his mother’s phone, McLachlan suggested they meet at a swimming pool instead. He claimed he could recognize McLachlan by the explicit image he had previously sent. The defendant also inquired about Ross’s viewing habits of pornography and proposed communicating via live video chat on Skype. To avoid detection, McLachlan fabricated an excuse about his mother disabling his camera, later providing a link to a website that would allow Ross to modify his camera settings.

Further evidence presented in court showed that McLachlan had sent Ross a live video link, in which he appeared semi-naked in a garage, performing an explicit act. During subsequent conversations, McLachlan expressed concern about the potential consequences of their interactions, mentioning that he needed to be cautious because of the age difference and referencing a friend who had been placed on the sex offenders register. Despite Ross repeatedly reaffirming his age as 13, McLachlan falsely claimed to be 28. The situation escalated when McLachlan, who owns a grass cutting and lawnmower repair business, claimed he could not meet Ross in Preston on June 26 due to work commitments. However, later that day, he sent another explicit live video and requested a naked photograph of the teenager.

Following these actions, McLachlan was arrested. During police questioning, he initially answered with silence but later admitted that he sought to understand Ross’s true age and claimed he had no intention of meeting the boy, stating he had 'gotten cold feet.' A search of McLachlan’s bedroom uncovered school uniforms, which he claimed were for dressing up himself, not for any inappropriate purpose. The court heard that McLachlan had pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child, grooming a minor under 16, causing a 13-year-old to view sexual images, and attempting to cause a child to engage in non-penetrative sexual acts in the presence of a minor.

Judge Philip Parry described McLachlan as posing a 'high risk of serious harm to children' and sentenced him to 16 months in prison. Additionally, he was ordered to adhere to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and to register as a sex offender for the same duration. The case highlighted the dangers posed by online predators and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to protect vulnerable minors from exploitation and abuse.