TERRENCE MERRYFIELD FROM SOUTHPORT SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN LIVERPOOL

In a case that has shocked the community of Southport and the wider Liverpool area, Terrence Merryfield has been sentenced to eight years in prison for a series of disturbing offences related to child sexual exploitation and indecency. The proceedings took place at Liverpool Crown Court, where the gravity of Merryfield’s actions was laid bare.

It was revealed that Merryfield, a resident of Southport, engaged in online conversations with what he believed were two young girls, expressing sexual desires and intentions towards them. Unbeknownst to him, these conversations were with an adult decoy named Caz Solo Elizabeth, who was part of an online paedophile hunting community. Once the decoy identified Merryfield’s intentions, the case was handed over to the police for further investigation.

Following this, Merryfield made contact with an undercover police officer, to whom he sent explicit images depicting child sexual abuse. These actions occurred while Merryfield was already under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which had been imposed after he was previously jailed for eight months in August 2016 for downloading over 1,000 indecent images of children. This prior conviction highlighted his ongoing predatory behaviour and the serious concern authorities had regarding his sexual interests.

During the court hearing, Martine Snowdon, representing the prosecution, pointed out that Merryfield had cooperated with his post-release licence conditions. However, she emphasized that insufficient efforts had been made to address his deeply ingrained and persistent sexual interests in young girls. The court was told that Merryfield’s behaviour over several years was deeply troubling and indicative of a dangerous pattern.

Judge David Aubrey, QC, described the case as profoundly disturbing. Addressing Merryfield directly via video link, the judge stated, “In my judgment, this is a deeply disturbing case, and your behaviour over a number of years is again disturbing. You have uncontrolled aspirations, impulses, and desires to engage in sexual activity with children under 13, particularly extremely young children.”

He further declared Merryfield to be “an offender of particular concern” and imposed an extended licence period of one year. Importantly, the judge clarified that Merryfield would not be automatically released after serving his sentence; his release would be subject to the decision of the Parole Board.

Details of the offences revealed that in August 2018, Merryfield sent five indecent images to a Cheshire police decoy officer, who was posing as a young girl. He had initially contacted her via a messaging service under the alias Skooley Lover. Following his arrest at his home on Albert Road, Southport, he was released under investigation but continued his offending behavior.

Further investigations uncovered that Merryfield also contacted a man named ‘Jim,’ who was actually an officer from the South West Regional Crime Unit. The officer pretended to have a six-year-old daughter, and the conversations involved disturbing discussions about sexual activity and rape involving the child.

Additionally, Merryfield reached out to a female decoy officer, claiming to have a six-year-old daughter, and asked if she would like to see her daughter having fun with a man. These interactions demonstrated his ongoing predatory tendencies.

In court, Merryfield, of Talbot Road, Southport, pleaded guilty to 16 separate offences, including encouraging child rape and sexual activity, distributing indecent images, and breaching a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The judge ordered that Merryfield be registered on the Sex Offenders Register for life and imposed a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order to protect the community from further harm.