A sex offender was arrested at Manchester Airport after he ignored a 'red warning' and sent explicit messages to a '13-year-old girl'. Matthew Garrod sent a graphic photo and messages to who he believed to be the teenage girl on two social media platforms. He arranged to have sex with the supposed teenager at a hotel and suggested that his friends could also abuse her.
He sent the 'disgusting, perverted' messages while he was in Vietnam, a court heard. But Garrod was actually speaking to an undercover police officer who was running a decoy profile on Snapchat and messaging application Kik.
Arrest at Manchester Airport
On May 9, 2024, as he returned back to the UK on a flight from Vietnam, police swooped on Garrod as he arrived into Manchester Airport. He was arrested and had his phone confiscated.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Monday (September 28) how the device was found to contain conversations between the now 33-year-old defendant and an officer posing as the 13-year-old girl on the two social media platforms.
Sickening messages sent by Garrod
Peter Wilson, prosecuting, outlined how Garrod initially contacted the so-called teenager on September 13, 2021 using the account 'Open British Man' with a display name of 'Matty Alex', explaining how he was a 28-year-old man from Leeds.
The girl's profile, which indicated that she 'loved chocolate, pizza and chilling on school holidays', meanwhile featured a year of birth of 2007, images of a piglet and a lemur and a 'red warning' which read: "Please don't send me dirty Kik sexting." However, Garrod proceeded to 'engage her interest in animals' by sharing photographs of his pets, before 'beginning to speak to her in a sexualised manner', claiming his penis was 'considered really big' prior to sending an explicit photograph of himself and 'asking her what she would like to do with it', reports the Liverpool Echo.
Despite her explaining she was 'going to her nan's house, because she was keeping an eye on her' and her father was 'well strict', he continued to 'make arrangements to meet in person and have sex with her' at a hotel. Garrod also told the girl he wished to 'get her more experienced' and proposed she could 'practice with his friends sometimes too'.
His internet browsing history later revealed searches questioning 'how do I permanently deactivate my account on Kik?'. During questioning, Garrod maintained he was aware he'd been communicating with an adult through his messages and was 'acting out of fantasy, because he was involved in a group about daddy daughter and little girls'.
Court sentencing
He had no prior convictions. Michael O'Brien, representing the defendant, told the court: "Whilst it was a guilty plea on the day of trial, that plea is, in my respectful submission, probably the most significant feature of mitigation for this defendant."
He was able to reflect upon his admitted behaviour, reflect upon the position he advanced by way of a defence and the position to be advanced at trial. He was in Vietnam. It was during lockdown. Seemingly, Vietnam was not the best place to be during lockdown.
"References show a different side to this defendant. Importantly, the Probation Service feel able to work with Mr Garrod. They accept that he has shown some insight and remorse into his behaviour."
In my respectful submission, he voluntarily desists from the communication. There is a different, more positive side to his character, as outlined in the references before the court. He suffers with his mental health, diagnosed now with autism.
"Presently, he still maintains stable employment. He knows that may change. He has been open with the probation officer, less so with his employers. On the face of, it that employment can continue."
Garrod admitted attempted sexual communications with a child. Appearing in the dock wearing a suit, he received a 12-month custodial sentence suspended for two years, alongside 200 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 25 days.
Passing sentence, Recorder Mark Cooper stated: "You engaged, in that 10-day period, in communications with a person who actually was a law enforcement operative. You were fully aware that she was 13 years of age. You deliberately ignored a red warning, stating that she did not want to get involved in dirty sexting, so to speak."
"Despite that, you spoke to her in a sexualised way. You asked for photographs of herself and you even attempted to make arrangements to meet in person in order to have sexual intercourse with her, including references to a hotel being booked. You also referred to getting your friends involved.
"It is quite apparent to me that this was a disgusting, perverted fantasy. When you were interviewed, you said that you thought you were talking to an adult, acting out a fantasy. It is a very sorry state of affairs, as I think you now appreciate."
"You sent a sexual image to the law enforcement officer. You solicited images from the decoy, both on Kik and Snapchat. I do note that they were not sexual images that you requested."
"It is highly significant that, at the time of this offence, you were subject to a strict lockdown regime in Vietnam. That clearly had a massive impact on your mental health. I also have at the forefront of my mind your recent diagnosis of autism. I accept that you voluntarily stopped the conversation and are now employed in a stable job in the United Kingdom.
"I have read carefully references written by yourself and your mother and grandparents. I am pleased to see that you have a supportive family network and you, in turn, support them. You have described your shame and regret and wish, in effect, that you could turn back the clock.
"I am satisfied there there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation within the community. You have not been assessed as having a high risk of reoffending or harm. There is strong personal mitigation. In the circumstances, balancing all of the factors, I have concluded that it is appropriate to suspend the sentence in this case."
In addition to the suspended sentence, Garrod was ordered to pay court costs of £1,630 within 28 days and handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. He will also be placed on the sex offenders' register for the next decade.
