Paul Black, a 36-year-old man described as a "dangerous" predator, has begun an extended 18-year sentence after admitting a catalogue of 28 offences at Teesside Crown Court. He groomed two schoolgirls before driving them to an industrial estate where he raped and sexually abused them in his car.
Grooming and abuse on Snapchat
Black, who was unknown to his underage victims, added one of the children on Snapchat and offered her money in exchange for sexual acts. The court heard he groomed both youngsters on multiple occasions, collecting them in his car and taking them to a Teesside industrial estate where he raped them. He also demanded sexually explicit images from his victims and paid them.
The offending was uncovered when one of the victims disclosed what had happened to an adult, who subsequently alerted police. On Tuesday, November 3, the court heard how he offered one of the girls £200 for sex or £60 for a sexual act. He referred to both girls as "dirty s****" and when one asked him to stop he was "annoyed saying he was paying her for it so she had to do it".
Investigation and evidence
During the police investigation, examination of his devices uncovered indecent images of children - 35 of category A, the most serious kind, 16 of category B and more than 60 category C images. When questioned by officers, Black claimed some of the indecent images had been sent to him by girls he had been communicating with online, reports Teesside Live.
Reading the victim impact statements, Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, said one of the girls "struggled a lot in day to day life", adding: "I struggle to sleep and feel paranoid. I feel this man targeted me." The other girl wrote: "I thought it was my fault and I was to blame. I understand now I wasn't... I hope because this has concluded I will be able to carry on with my life and feel normal again."
Previous cautions and sentencing
While Black has no previous convictions, his sexual misconduct had previously brought him to the attention of police. He received three cautions on earlier occasions, including indecent exposure in 2004 and sexual assault, when he grabbed the buttocks of a jogger as she ran past him several years ago.
Teesside Crown Court heard of aggravating factors including that Black deceived the girls about his age, claiming to be in his 20s, and used a false name. Black, of Wordsworth Crescent, Gateshead, admitted eight counts of rape alongside 20 further sexual offences, including paying for the sexual services of an underage girl, meeting a child under 16 following grooming, and sexual assault.
Judge Richard Clews deemed Black a dangerous offender and imposed an 18-year sentence comprising 15 years in custody and a further three years on extended licence. He told Black, who appeared via video link from prison: "You took advantage of them in a dreadful way and did so repeatedly." He added: "There is a significant risk of serious harm to other members of the public, mainly young females."
Police response and protective measures
Black has been placed on the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely and made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). Restraining orders were additionally imposed to prohibit him from contacting his victims.
Detective Constable Sean Hobbs, from Cleveland Police's Protecting Vulnerable People team, said: "Black is a predator who has used Snapchat to groom young girls solely for his own sexual gratification. He would entice the children to meet him by promising to give them large amounts of money." He added: "He then abused them sexually through demanding threats and violence causing fear."
Hobbs continued: "It has understandably been distressing for the girls to relive what Black had done to them, but they have shown such courage in opening up to an adult and then to officers. This has gone a long way to ensure Black has no choice but to admit to what he has done and secured a prison sentence. I hope it provides some reassurance that they were both listened to, supported and that Black has now been held accountable for his actions."
