STUART PARRY OF NESTON GUILTY OF SEX OFFENCES INVOLVING YOUNG BOYS IN CHESTER

In December 2012, Stuart Parry, a young man from Neston, was sentenced to six months in prison after being found guilty of engaging in disturbing sexual activities with underage boys through online platforms. Parry, who was a junior member of the Great Britain kayaking team from Wirral, exploited his position of trust within the sport to lure two teenage boys, aged 13 and 15 at the time, into sexual acts via webcam.

Parry’s criminal activities came to light after authorities from the Metropolitan Police flagged a Facebook conversation with Cheshire police, which they deemed to contain inappropriate content. This led to a detailed investigation that uncovered a series of disturbing behaviors and a significant collection of indecent images on his personal computers. The police found 122 indecent images of children, including explicit photographs of the two victims, one of whom was just 13 years old and the other 15. Among these images were photographs of boys as young as five, highlighting the severity and depravity of his actions.

During the court proceedings at Chester Crown Court, prosecutor Peter Hussey described how Parry abused his standing within the kayaking community to manipulate and bully the young boys for his own sexual gratification. It was revealed that Parry had previously coached the first victim, who initially accepted a Facebook link from him but became alarmed and switched off the connection when he saw Parry performing a sex act. Parry later sent the boy an indecent image and attempted to persuade him to meet for sexual activities. The victim confided in his mother, who was also the child protection officer for the GB kayaking team, and the matter was reported to authorities. The boy was only willing to give a full account to police after learning that another boy had experienced similar abuse.

The second victim, also a keen kayaker, was aware of Parry’s reputation within the sport but never met him in person. Nevertheless, they maintained contact through Facebook, where Parry again attempted to engage him in sexual acts and expressed a desire to meet. The parents of this second boy, who was from the south of England, refused permission for any meeting. Police investigations revealed that Parry had taken a dozen indecent images of this boy via webcam, further illustrating his predatory behavior.

Parry, who was only 17 and 18 years old at the time of the offenses, maintained that he had no physical contact with his victims and had not distributed any of the images. His defense argued that he was a young man with no prior convictions. However, Judge Nicholas Woodward emphasized that Parry’s actions constituted a serious breach of trust and warranted a custodial sentence. Parry was ordered to serve time at a young offenders’ institute and was also subject to a sexual offences prevention order to prevent further misconduct.

Earlier in October 2012, Parry, then 20, had admitted possessing indecent images of children and was identified as an Olympic kayaking hopeful. He had been selected for the GB junior freestyle kayaking team in 2005, becoming the youngest member at just 13 years old. His reputation within the sport was notable, as he had qualified for the GB U18 team and was a candidate for the World Championships in Switzerland in September 2009. Despite his athletic achievements, his criminal conduct overshadowed his sporting career.

During a court hearing, Judge Elgan Edwards criticized Parry for abusing the trust placed in him by young boys who looked up to him as an experienced athlete. The investigation revealed that Parry used social media platforms such as Facebook and MSN to communicate with the boys, taking explicit images of them on his webcam and storing these images on his computer. The charges included multiple counts of inciting children to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual touching in the presence of a child, and possessing numerous indecent images of children, with some images categorized at the highest levels of indecency.

Parry’s actions were only uncovered after police were alerted by the Metropolitan Police in March of the previous year, following a flagged Facebook conversation with a 14-year-old boy. He was scheduled for sentencing on November 26 and was released on bail under strict conditions, including a ban on internet access and restrictions from watersports activities or canoeing centers. His case remains a stark reminder of the dangers of exploiting trust and the importance of safeguarding vulnerable young people in sports and online environments.