STEPHEN GODRIDGE FROM BOLTON SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR RAPE IN LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER
A disturbing case has emerged involving Stephen Godridge, a man from Bolton who committed heinous sexual offenses against a teenage girl in Liverpool and Manchester.The incident took place just months after Godridge was released from prison, highlighting a troubling pattern of predatory behavior that has shocked the local community.
According to court reports, Godridge, aged 31 and residing on Southfield Street in Bolton, used social media platform Snapchat to groom his young victim.
The court heard that he initially sent a friend request to the 14-year-old girl, pretending to be 23 years old, and gradually persuaded her to send explicit photographs of herself.
This manipulation was part of a calculated effort to exploit her vulnerability.
After establishing contact, Godridge drove from Bolton to Liverpool to pick up the girl in his car.
The journey continued to Manchester, where he took her to watch him play football, further luring her into his control.
As night fell, the predator took his victim to a secluded car park at Breckside Park in Anfield.
There, he subjected her to a sexual assault and rape inside his vehicle, despite her protests and repeated pleas for him to stop.
The girl, concerned for her safety, had taken photographs of the interior of the car during the journey, capturing evidence of her distress.
The incident was ultimately uncovered through automatic number plate recognition technology, which confirmed Godridge’s visits to the area.
During police interviews, he claimed he believed the girl was not underage and alleged she had told him she was 17, asserting that their sexual encounter was consensual.
However, these claims were contradicted by evidence and the victim’s account.
It was revealed that Godridge had a history of similar offenses.
In 2019, he was sentenced to 57 months in prison at Preston Crown Court after being convicted of two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child.
His modus operandi involved befriending underage girls on Snapchat, pretending to be older—19 and 22 respectively—and sending explicit images of himself before engaging in sexual acts in his car at secluded locations.
This pattern of predatory behavior demonstrated a calculated and persistent approach to exploiting minors.
Prior to his latest conviction, Godridge had served as a special constable with Greater Manchester Police.
He was suspended from duty following his arrest in October 2016 and subsequently resigned from the force.
Despite being subject to a sexual harm prevention order that prohibited contact with girls under 16, he continued to offend.
Following a trial, a jury found Godridge guilty of multiple charges, including two counts of rape, sexual assault, two counts of assault by penetration, and breaching the sexual harm prevention order.
He appeared via video link from HMP Liverpool to receive his sentence.
On Friday, he was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 10 years and eight months, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the danger he poses to the community.
