Peter West, 35, has been jailed for eight years after grooming and sexually abusing a teenage girl he met on the messaging platform Telegram. The abuse was uncovered when the girl's father, searching her room for evidence of vaping, discovered explicit messages and photos.
Abuse began on Telegram
West first contacted the girl on Telegram, where she initially claimed to be 18 and sent an edited passport photo. She later told him she was actually 14. Over several days, the messages turned sexual, with West asking her to call him 'daddy' and telling her she was 'built for sex'.
West was arrested and gave no comment in a police interview, during which officers informed him of the girl's true age. Months later, the girl's father found further messages and pictures in her room, proving the abuse had continued.
Repeated abuse and exploitation
The girl told police she met West at his house on at least 14 occasions, engaging in 'sexual acts' almost every time. She believed she was 'in love with him', Manchester Crown Court heard. West, of Salford, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including six counts of sexual activity with a child, engaging in sexual communication with a child, and distributing indecent images of children.
Prosecutor Nicholas Flanagan said the father searched her room in January 2025 looking for vaping evidence but instead found sexual messages and photos. The messages showed West knew her age, calling her a 'perfect little c*** s***er' and saying she was 'built for sex'. He also asked her to delete conversations and encouraged her to have sex with other children.
Further discovery and images
In December 2025, the father searched her room again and found a metal spoon, £50 cash, tablets, and more messages from West, despite a child protection order. West had given the girl a new SIM card and picked her up from Oldham to abuse her at his home, where they often had unprotected sex. He also gave her drugs and took pictures and videos, including 18 category A images, 46 category B, and 427 category C images, which he shared in six groups.
In a statement, the girl said she felt 'crushed' when West was arrested and now feels 'guilty' for lying to her parents. Her father said he had suicidal thoughts and felt unable to keep his family safe.
Defence and sentencing
Simon Mintz, defending, said West was of good character and a successful photographer, but his mental health declined, making him vulnerable to temptation. He said West's family were 'appalled' but supportive, and he showed insight and remorse. The judge, Recorder Alexander Leach KC, sentenced West as a dangerous offender, calling it 'the relentless pursuit of a child'. West received a 14-year term: eight years in jail and six on licence, with two-thirds of the jail term to be served before parole consideration.
