THOMAS LANCASTER BRADFORD SEX OFFENDER CAUGHT WITH UNDERAGE GIRLS ON FACEBOOK

In September 2013, a disturbing case emerged involving Thomas Lancaster, a resident of Bradford, who admitted to engaging in inappropriate sexual activities with underage girls he met through social media. The Bradford Crown Court heard detailed accounts of Lancaster’s predatory behavior, which involved grooming and exploiting vulnerable teenagers.

Thomas Lancaster, who was 20 years old at the time of sentencing, had been significantly younger when he initiated contact with three girls, all of whom were only 14 years old. Despite his age of 17 and 18 during these encounters, witnesses and court proceedings highlighted that Lancaster appeared much younger physically, which added a disturbing layer to the case. Lancaster resided on St Mary’s Crescent in Wyke, Bradford, and pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sexual activity with minors.

Prosecutor Andrew Kershaw provided a detailed account of Lancaster’s interactions with the first girl. He claimed that Lancaster falsely told her he was 15 years old and in year nine at school. Their relationship progressed to the point where they went to the cinema together and went shopping, but it ultimately ended when the girl’s mother discovered them engaging in sexual activity. The court was told that Lancaster’s grooming tactics involved establishing a false sense of trust and familiarity with the young girl.

Further details revealed that Lancaster had also met a second girl through Facebook. The court heard that the two were aware of each other’s ages, but the relationship was short-lived. The second girl decided to end their contact because she found Lancaster to be possessive and controlling, which caused her to feel uncomfortable and unsafe.

Most troubling was Lancaster’s interaction with a third girl, whom he met via Facebook as well. According to Mr. Kershaw, Lancaster undressed her in his bedroom and “rather imposed himself on her,” a phrase indicating non-consensual or coercive behavior. The girl left Lancaster’s home distressed, and her mother questioned her about her well-being, which led to Lancaster’s arrest. The court heard that this incident had a profound impact on the third girl, disrupting her education, causing her to withdraw socially, and necessitating counseling to address the trauma she experienced.

During the proceedings, Lancaster’s defense lawyer, Sarah Barlow, described her client as being very immature, which the court acknowledged as a mitigating factor. Despite this, Judge Colin Burn sentenced Lancaster to 21 months in a young offender institution. However, the sentence was suspended for two years, meaning Lancaster would not serve time unless he committed further offenses during that period. The judge also ordered Lancaster to participate in the probation service’s Sex Offender Treatment Programme and mandated that he register as a sex offender with the police for ten years.

Additionally, a Sexual Offences Prevention Order was issued, prohibiting Lancaster from contacting his victims and from having unsupervised contact with girls under the age of 16. These measures aim to protect other minors from potential harm and to monitor Lancaster’s behavior moving forward.