STEPHEN CARRUTHERS AND SHOCKING CHILD SEX OFFENSES IN BLACKPOOL
A well-known child sex offender, Stephen Carruthers, engaged in a disturbing pattern of befriending a local family in Blackpool and gaining their trust to the extent that he was allowed to babysit their two young children.During this period, Carruthers, who was 64 years old at the time, bought the children sweets, ice cream, and toys, further ingratiating himself into their lives.
Unbeknownst to the children's parents, Carruthers concealed a sordid past filled with criminal convictions related to sexual offenses.
Carruthers was ultimately apprehended after concerns were raised by staff at the children’s nursery.
The nursery staff noticed unusual behavior in the children and alerted the parents, prompting an investigation.
It was revealed that Carruthers was subject to an indefinite sexual offending prevention order, known as a SHPO, which explicitly required that any contact he had with children under the age of 18 be approved by authorities.
Despite this legal restriction, Carruthers did not disclose his previous convictions or his visits to the family’s home.
The court heard that Carruthers had been invited into the family’s residence on multiple occasions.
He did not reveal his criminal history to the parents, who trusted him enough to leave him alone with their children.
As he grew closer to the family, he began to take on more responsibilities, such as putting the children to bed and being present in the same room during bath times.
He even stayed overnight at their home on several occasions, often being trusted to be alone with the children.
The parents, unaware of his past, believed he was a safe and caring individual.
The situation came to light when nursery staff expressed concerns about the children’s behavior, which prompted the parents to investigate further.
The children’s father described Carruthers as “very keen on the children,” noting that he would frequently buy them sweets, ice cream, and toys.
He also observed that Carruthers would often bend down to cuddle the children and, when the parents left him alone with them, he would tell them not to rush back.
Legal proceedings revealed that Carruthers had a long history of criminal activity dating back to the 1970s.
In 2009, he was handed an indeterminate sentence for public protection following an offense involving sexual activity with a child.
During that sentencing, it was disclosed that Carruthers, along with another convicted paedophile he met in prison, had lured four teenage boys to a shared flat in Blackpool, boasting about money and celebrity contacts to entice them.
The court described both men as “incorrigible, predatory paedophiles.” Although Carruthers was released from prison after the Parole Board deemed him no longer a risk, his subsequent contact with children led to his immediate recall on license.
He was found to have violated the terms of his release by not informing police or social services about his visits and time spent alone with the children.
Carruthers pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including two counts of breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) and two counts of breaching notification requirements.
During sentencing, Judge Sarah O’Brien emphasized that there was no evidence he had physically harmed the children.
She acknowledged that Carruthers had attended all probation appointments and was cooperative with professionals but criticized his failure to disclose his unsupervised contact with the children, which was a significant breach of trust.
The judge described his actions as “flagrant breaches” of the court orders designed to protect children.
Carruthers’ conduct demonstrated a blatant disregard for legal restrictions and the safety of the children involved.
As a result, he was sentenced to three years in prison, reflecting the seriousness of his breaches and the potential risk posed by his actions.
