January 2015 Convicted sex offender back in jail for Halloween breach of sex offences order A CHILD sex pest who plied 12-year-old trick-or-treaters with beer after luring them to his house with a lit pumpkin has been jailed. Steven Lach had not been out of prison long, having been returned to serve most of a ten-year jail term, when he returned to his old ‘grooming’ ways at Halloween. Now Lach, 55, who was living at Rodbourne, Swindon, has been jailed for two years and three months after he breached a sexual offences prevention order for a second time. Tessa Hingston, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that the former limousine driver was housed at the address in Chippenham after his release from prison. She said five young girls and a boy were out for Halloween when they got to his house and saw a lit pumpkin, a sign for trick or treaters to call, and the front door ajar. They called out and he came to the door and asked the youngsters, all aged 12 apart from one girl who was 13, if they wanted some beer as he didn’t have sweets. She said the children admitted telling him they were 14 after he asked their ages and he then got the beer from the fridge, opened it and offered it to them. Lach then asked where they lived and went to school and when he heard one of the girls tell her pal said she needed the toilet he said she could use his, which she declined. He told them not to tell their mothers about him and, as they walked away, he called two of the girls back saying he did have some sweets. When they returned he told them they were ‘gorgeous’ and as they all walked off again he followed them in his car. “The Crown say he was effectively enticing them to his address by the open door and pumpkin,” Miss Hingston said. When he was questioned he claimed he had not realised their ages, saying he thought the 12-year-old lad was an adult. He also said he followed them to apologise for giving them beer and denied telling them they were gorgeous, saying he just complimented them on their outfits. Lach, of Massey Close, Pewsham, Chippenham, pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual offences prevention order. Alex Daymond, defending, said his client’s best piece of mitigation was that he had admitted the charge. He said that he had only spoken to the children and that he had apologised to them for giving them beer. Jailing him Judge Peter Blair QC said: “Within a short time of your release from a sentence of imprisonment for breaching the sexual offences prevention order you appear, possibly while you were under the influence of alcohol, to have resumed some of your old pattern of grooming behaviour towards youngsters when they came trick or treating.” Lach was jailed for seven years, with a three-year extended licence, in January 2007 after admitting systematically abusing eight girls, the youngest being 12-years-old. He bought them drink and cigarettes telling them he was called Glen and ran a photography studio. Lach took them to his then home on Bruce Street or drove them into the country where he took photos of them for his own sexual gratification. He also gave them money, carried out sex acts in front of them and simulated sex with them in the pictures. And when the police became involved he got one of the girls he had abused to write a letter purporting to be from another victim with her fingerprints on it. He told one of the youngsters he liked sex with girls, not women, as a woman had once broken his heart and the youngest he had slept with was 12 years old. The court was told he repeatedly denied any wrongdoing claiming the girls had cooked up the whole thing to frame him. Lach, then living at St Alban’s Close, Rodbourne, eventually pleaded guilty to 18 sex crimes and one charge of perverting the course of justice. In 2011 he was convicted of breaching the sexual offences prevention order when he approached two 16-year-old girls close to the Melksham hostel he was living in and asking where he could sunbathe naked. Former limousine driver breached sexual offence order A FORMER Rodbourne limousine driver who abused a string of young girls is back behind bars after he again breached the terms of a sexual offences prevention order. Steven Lach was jailed for seven years with a three-year extended licence in 2007 after he plied the youngsters with drink and cigarettes pretending to be a photographer while living at Bruce Street, Swindon. Shortly after his release in 2011 the 55-year-old approached two 16-year-old girls close to the Melksham hostel where he was living, in contravention of that order. Now it is alleged Lach put a lit pumpkin outside his house on Halloween with the door ajar to lure girls to his home. When youngsters out trick or treating came to his door on Massey Close, Pewsham, Chippenham, it is said he gave them beer and then followed them. But Lach insists that, although he breached the order, he had not put the pumpkin out to attract children to his house. He insists that he only followed them to apologise for giving them beer and he hadn’t told them they were gorgeous, just that their outfits looked good. As a result a judge sitting at Swindon Crown Court said there must be a hearing of fact to establish, after hearing evidence, the truth of what happened. Hannah Squire, prosecuting, said “The Crown do not accept any part of that explanation. The Crown says this was a deliberate ploy to attract children to his home.” Judge Tim Mousley QC adjourned the case to Monday January 18 and remanded Lach, who has admitted breaching the order, in custody until then. Lach was jailed in January 2007 after admitting systematically abusing eight girls, the youngest being 12-years-old. He bought them drink and cigarettes to befriend them as well as telling them he was called Glen and ran a photography studio. Once he gained their trust he took them to his then Bruce Street home or drove them into the country where he took photos of them for his own sexual gratification. Lach eventually pleaded guilty to 18 sex crimes and one charge of perverting the course of justice. He admitted five counts of indecent assault, one of sexual assault, two of indecency with a child, six charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of engaging in a sex act in the presence of a child and two of exposure. A further four counts of exposure and one of inciting a child to commit sex acts involving four more young girls were left to lie on file after he pleaded not guilty to them. April 2011 Man abused young girls A PERVERT who abused a string of young girls after plying them with drink and cigarettes is back behind bars. Former Rodbourne limousine driver Steven Lach was jailed for seven years in 2007 and also put on a sexual offences prevention order, restricting his liberty on his release. But in July last year the 50-year-old approached two girls under 16 in Melksham, where he was living in a hostel after leaving prison on early release. When Lach, of no fixed address, appeared at Swindon Crown Court he pleaded guilty to one charge of breaching the terms of a sexual offences prevention order He is back in custody and could be ordered to serve the remainder of the original sentence, which also included a three-year extended licence. The court was told that he is also likely to receive another jail term for the new offences. Stephen Jeary, defending, said his client had been recalled on the early release licence of the previous sentence on July 15 last year. He said “The inevitable sentence in one of imprisonment. There is nothing to advance by way of mitigation. He is 50 and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.” Judge Douglas Field said he needed a pre-sentence report to learn more about the defendant and remanded him in custody until Friday, May 13. Lach was jailed in January 2007 after admitting systematically abusing eight girls, the youngest being 12. He bought drink and cigarettes for youngsters to befriend them, as well as telling them he ran a photography studio. Once he had gained their trust he took them to his home in Bruce Street and drove them into the country where he took photographs of them for his own sexual gratification. On some occasions he gave them money, carried out sex acts in front of them and simulated sex with them in the pictures. When the police became involved he persuaded one of the girls he had abused to write a letter purporting to be from another victim with her fingerprints on it. After Lach met the teenagers he said he was a photographer called Glen but used the façade to take lewd pictures of them. He also told one of the youngsters he liked sex with girls, not women, as a woman had once broken his heart. The court was told he repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, claiming the girls had cooked up the whole thing to frame him. Share article Lach, who gave the court an address of St Alban’s Close, Rodbourne, eventually pleaded guilty to 18 sex crimes and one charge of perverting the course of justice. He admitted five counts of indecent assault, one of sexual assault, two of indecency with a child, six charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of engaging in a sex act in the presence of a child and two of exposure. A further four counts of exposure and one of inciting a child to commit sex acts involving four more young girls will lie on file after he pleaded not guilty to them. January 2007 Pervert jailed for preying on teenagers PERVERT Steven Lach has been jailed for seven years after he groomed and abused a string of young girls. The 46-year-old former limousine driver bought drink and cigarettes for the teenagers before getting them to pose in lewd pictures with him for his sexual gratification. Lynne Matthews, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that Lach, pictured, had groomed and abused eight girls. She said he met the first of the girls in 2002 when she was just 14. She and a friend had asked him to buy alcohol for them at a local store. He did and also gave them a business card for a photography firm and asked if they wanted to take some photos of him. They agreed to do it for £30, going to his house in Bruce Street. After a while she said the girls were persuaded to appear in the pictures, with him simulating sex acts on them. In return for being in the pictures the girls received cash, cigarettes and alcohol. The court heard he would take the pictures two or three times a week. Lach, who frequently picked up the girls from school, also performed an indecent act in front of them. On a number of occasions he pestered them for sex but they refused and he eventually left them alone when one said she would go to the police. Miss Matthews said he then started pestering a second group of girls. She said the pattern with the others girls was repeated with the taking of pictures, though it was thought there was not film in the camera. He sent one of the girls a text message which said told you before if I give you a ride I expect something in return like sex. I have done it with the others so I am not going to change my principles’. Lach also told one of the youngsters he liked sex with girls and not women as a woman had once broken his heart. Miss Matthews said two of the girls had made impact statements, one saying the whole incident had left her scarred and unable to form relationships. Lach, who gave the court an address in St Alban’s Close, Rodbourne, pleaded guilty to 18 sex crimes. He also admitted perverting the course of justice after he got one of the youngsters to write a letter to him purporting to be from one of the others when police were investigating the case. He admitted five counts of indecent assault, one of sexual assault, two of indecency with a child, six charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of engaging in a sex act in the presence of a child and two of exposure. A further four counts of exposure and one of inciting a child to commit sex acts involving four more young girls were left to lie on file after he pleaded not guilty to them. Lach had originally denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to all of the allegations. He said the girls had conspired to frame him, and he also tried unsuccessfully to change his plea to not guilty on the sex offences. Rob Ross, defending, pointed out Lach had not actually had sex with any of the victims and was a man of good character. Jailing him for seven years, Judge Douglas Field said: “These girls were young and vulnerable. “You sought to befriend them, you groomed them and you gave then gifts. “At their young age you gave them cigarettes and alcohol, you got them under your evil influence and you did so in order to gratify your sexual desires.” He also imposed a three-year extended licence when he is released, banned him from working with children, ordered him to register as a sex offender for life and imposed a sexual offences prevention order restricting his liberty on release.