Thomas Maher, a 64-year-old sex offender from Burnage, Manchester, has been jailed for eight years after planning to abuse a young girl with a man he believed was her father. The North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) said Maher engaged in 'deeply disturbing online activity' that demonstrated a clear intent to commit further offences against the child.
Online Conversations Reveal Abuse Plans
In September 2025, Maher sent messages via a social media platform to someone he thought was an adult male. During the exchange, he discussed plans to commit serious sexual offences against the man's daughter and outlined steps he intended to take to facilitate the abuse, police said.
Police were alerted to the online activity and discovered that Maher was already on bail for separate offences relating to indecent images of children. He was subsequently arrested at his home address.
Evidence Found in Vehicle and Phone
During a search of Maher's vehicle, officers recovered two syringes and his mobile phone, which contained further evidence of his offending. The phone held indecent images of children and extreme pornography.
Maher, of Lane End Road, Burnage, pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence; possession of an indecent image of a child; making indecent photographs of a child; and possession of extreme pornography.
Sentencing and Court Orders
He was jailed for eight years at Manchester Crown Court on Friday. The case followed a joint investigation by NWROCU and Police Scotland, as reported by the Manchester Evening News. Maher was also made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely.
Det Con Adam Cronshaw said: 'The sentencing reflects the swift and decisive action taken after officers identified Thomas Maher's deeply disturbing online activity involving discussions of serious sexual harm to a child. The evidence demonstrated a clear intent to commit further offences, and his guilty plea reflects the strength of evidence against him.'
Cronshaw added: 'This investigation highlights our ongoing commitment to protecting children and ensuring those who seek to exploit or harm them are identified, arrested, and brought before the courts.'
