SALFORD PAEDOPHILE STEVEN HOWARTH CAUGHT IN ONLINE STING AT IRLAM RAILWAY STATION

In a case that highlights the dangers of online grooming and vigilant child protection efforts, Steven Lee Howarth, a 40-year-old man from Salford, was recently sentenced to prison after falling victim to an undercover operation conducted by the child protection team Dark Light.

Howarth appeared before Manchester Crown Court to face multiple charges related to his inappropriate and illegal communications with minors. He admitted to engaging in sexual conversations with a child, as well as attempting to meet a minor following a period of sexual grooming. The court proceedings revealed that Howarth had been messaging three girls, whom he believed to be aged 10, 11, and 14 years old, respectively.

During these exchanges, Howarth sent explicit images and videos of adult pornography to each of the girls, further demonstrating his predatory intent. One particularly disturbing message involved Howarth describing to one of the girls that he had been engaging in sexual activity with a real underage schoolgirl, a statement that underscored the severity of his misconduct.

The case took a dramatic turn when Howarth arranged to meet the 14-year-old girl at Irlam railway station. He had been led to believe that the girl would arrive by train for the meeting. However, before he could carry out his plans, members of the Dark Light team, who had been monitoring his online activity, apprehended him at the station. The team clarified that the girls Howarth had been communicating with were all decoys, part of their sting operation designed to catch predators.

Following his arrest, Howarth was taken into custody and subsequently sentenced to two years in prison. Of this sentence, he was to serve half, minus one month, as he had already spent time on remand. Additionally, the court imposed a sexual harm prevention order on him and mandated that he be registered on the sex offenders register for life, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities and restrictions to protect the community from further harm.