BRADFORD PAEDOPHILE SENTENCED FOR DISTURBING PRISON PHONE CALLS TO TEEN
A man who made more than 3,500 calls to a teenage girl from behind bars has been given further prison time.Thomas Adams, 29, of Carr Street, Bradford, was arrested in June last year for engaging in sexual activity with the child, who was just 13, when police forced entry to his address and found the teenager in the upstairs bedroom.
She had been reported missing just hours before.
Adams was also wanted for unrelated matters, with which he was charged at court and remanded into custody, whilst he remained under investigation for the alleged sexual offences.
In October police were made aware that Adams was still contacting the teenager from prison after her father seized her mobile phone.
Adams had provided prison staff with a false name for the teenager when her number was listed an approved contact.
Audio call records confirmed the girl he was communicating with was the teenager.
In February of this year, prison staff searched Adams’ cell and found a phone charger, photos of the girl, and a phone book with her contact numbers in it.
A segregation cell he had been placed in was also searched which led to the discovery of a smashed up mini mobile phone hidden within the pipework of the cell.
Telephone evidence showed that during his six months in prison, Adams had made 3,506 calls to the girl and exchanged 12,975 texts with her.
The content of the calls was described as extremely disturbing.
At Bradford Crown Court, Adams was sentenced to eight years in prison and given a five year extended licence after pleading guilty to engaging in sexual activity, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and engaging in sexual communication with the teenager.
He will also be a registered sex offender for life.
Judge Jonathan Rose described Adams as a "dangerous offender." The judge stated, "She believed she was in some kind of romantic relationship with Adams, but she was an object for his 'paedophilic sexual gratification.' Even after you had been arrested and remanded, you continued to manipulate this child and did so by devious means, persuading her to use a secret phone.
You added this number to the list of contacts permissible from prison and falsely named her, deceiving authorities." Investigating Officer Stuart Lyons from Bradford Safeguarding Department commented, "The content of the calls made by Adams could best be described as extremely disturbing.
I hope the sentence he received will offer some reassurance to the victim and her family, demonstrating that authorities will act to protect vulnerable young people from grooming and exploitation, even when the predator is in custody." He was abusive, threatening, and coercive in his ongoing sexual exploitation of the child.
Adams lied to prison staff about who he was talking to and attempted to destroy evidence by smashing his mobile phone and hiding it within the cell pipework.
He was deemed a dangerous offender, and the case highlights the ongoing efforts to combat grooming and child exploitation.
