A 23-year-old man has been jailed for five years and four months after contacting a 12-year-old girl through the online game Roblox and sending her explicit WhatsApp messages. Ryan Caine, of Widnes, Cheshire, pleaded guilty to a series of child sex offences and was also made subject to a 30-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a 10-year restraining order.
Offending Through Gaming Platform
Chester Crown Court heard how Caine reached out to the schoolgirl through Roblox, a gaming platform where users create digital 'avatar' versions of themselves to chat and socialise. After sharing phone numbers online, he sent the 12-year-old WhatsApp messages containing explicit images and encouraged her to engage in sexual activity.
His offending first came to light after he contacted the girl through Roblox and later communicated with her via WhatsApp, engaging in sexualised communications and sending multiple explicit images and videos.
Arrest and Discovery of Further Victims
Caine was arrested on 16 April 2025 following a warrant at his home in Widnes, where officers recovered two mobile phones. Analysis of the devices revealed messages between Caine and five other children, all aged between 13 and 16, in which he again shared indecent images of himself and encouraged them to engage in sexual activity.
Officers also found 86 indecent images of children on his devices, ranging from Category A to Category C. In his interview, Caine refused to answer any questions put to him by officers, but was later charged with the offences.
Charges and Police Response
Caine admitted six counts of causing a girl to engage in sexual activity, five counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child, five counts of causing a child to look at an image of sexual activity, one count of possessing indecent images of children, and three counts of making indecent images of children.
Detective Constable Luke Chadwick said: "I welcome the sentence handed to Caine, who was left with no choice but to plead guilty to all of the charges as a result of the messages and indecent images that we discovered on his devices."
He added: "He was well aware that his victims were underage, and as a 23-year-old man he knew what he was doing was wrong, but despite this he continued with his deceitful actions. Through the use of social media, he specifically targeted young girls, plying them with sexualised messages and indecent images in order to fulfil his own sexual desires."
DC Chadwick also said: "Thankfully, as a result of the evidence we gathered, he has now been held accountable for his actions and is facing a significant time behind bars where he can reflect upon his actions. I hope this case acts as a reminder for all parents and guardians to warn their children of the dangers of communicating with people via social media, to check that they are using it safely and to keep an eye out for any warning signs of sexual exploitation."
