STEPHEN WHITE FROM BARNSTAPLE CAUGHT GROOMING TEENAGERS IN NORTH DEVON

In June 2016, a disturbing case emerged involving Stephen White, a 43-year-old carpenter residing on Victoria Road in Barnstaple, North Devon. White was found to have engaged in online activities aimed at grooming underage teenagers, which ultimately led to his conviction and sentencing. The incident highlighted the dangers posed by online predators and the importance of vigilant law enforcement in protecting vulnerable youths.

White's misconduct began when he used a popular online dating platform, Craigslist, specifically its 'casual encounters' section, to post a message that read: 'Any young teens near Torrington M4MW.' The code 'M4MW' indicated that he was seeking both male and female minors, a clear indication of his inappropriate intentions. This posting initiated a series of email exchanges with two minors: a 14-year-old girl from Barnstaple named Amy and a 16-year-old boy from Bideford named Edward.

The communication between White and Amy started late on Christmas Eve in 2014, and the messages continued into April 2015. During these exchanges, White expressed a desire to meet the girl for sexual activity and indicated that he 'really liked sleeping with older guys.' Similarly, with Edward, White discussed the possibility of a threesome and inquired whether he knew any young girls or boys interested in meeting up. These conversations revealed White's explicit interest in engaging in sexual acts with minors.

Although no physical meeting occurred, White later claimed to police that he believed the entire situation was a prank and that the girl was an adult transvestite attempting to deceive him. However, law enforcement officials found substantial evidence on White's computer following a raid on his home. The police had obtained a warrant after discovering that White had downloaded images depicting child rape from peer-to-peer file-sharing websites. The investigation uncovered a total of 13 images, including four classified as Category A, which is the most severe classification. Among these was a disturbing image depicting the rape of a girl aged between eight and twelve years old.

Further evidence included advertisements White had posted on Craigslist's casual encounters section, explicitly seeking minors. One ad read: 'Any young teens near Torrington M4MW,' while another stated: 'Any young boys or girls fancy meeting up M4MW.'

White was arrested during a police raid at his residence in April 2015, when he returned home while officers were executing the warrant. During police interviews, he admitted to accessing adult pornography and downloading music from peer-to-peer sites but denied any involvement with the illegal images. Despite his denials, the evidence was overwhelming.

At Exeter Crown Court, Judge Graham Cottle sentenced White to 15 months in prison, suspended for two years. The judge also ordered him to attend a sex offenders' treatment program, pay costs, and register as a sex offender for ten years. Additionally, White was subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, which restricts his access to children and grants police authority to monitor his internet activity. The judge emphasized the seriousness of White's intentions, stating, 'You were clearly interested in meeting an underage girl for sex, and that is a serious offence. In fact, you either stopped or were stopped before any damage was done.' He further remarked on the importance of White acknowledging his sexual interests in children to facilitate any progress in rehabilitation.

Prosecutor Janice Eagles provided further context, explaining that White was living with his parents in School Lane, Torrington, at the time of his arrest. She recounted that police executed a warrant and apprehended him upon his return home. During questioning, White admitted to viewing adult pornography and downloading music but denied any involvement with the illegal images, claiming he had deleted some 'dodgy looking' files. However, the forensic examination revealed the presence of the disturbing images and explicit advertisements, confirming his guilt.