A woman discovered she had been dating a registered child sex offender only when the couple was stopped at Turkish border control during a holiday abroad. Daniel Greaves, 34, a warehouse worker from Ladysmith Road in Grimsby, had concealed his conviction for four offences of sexual communication with a child, committed two years earlier.
Court Order and Breaches
Greaves was sentenced to a two-year community order at Grimsby Crown Court in December 2024 and placed on the Sex Offenders Register. He was also subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) banning him from being alone with anyone under 16. Despite these restrictions, he breached the order twice this year.
Prosecutor Craig Lowe told the court that in January, Greaves joined his girlfriend and two children for lunch at a pub. In February, the couple went to a circus, where Greaves was left unsupervised with two children while his girlfriend used the toilet. The couple then encountered problems entering Turkey during a holiday abroad, which led to the girlfriend learning of his past and alerting police.
Original Offences
The original offences involved communications with decoys set up by paedophile hunters posing as 13- and 14-year-old girls. Greaves sent messages requesting photos and proposing meetings. In one exchange, he suggested sharing a shower and told a decoy he could have sex with her.
Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, representing Greaves, stated her client had written a letter to the judge expressing "true remorse." She noted no harm occurred during the outings, which took place in public locations. Judge Richard Woolfall remarked that Greaves had been "extremely fortunate" not to face more serious charges for the 2023 communications.
Judge's Remarks
Judge Woolfall highlighted that the SHPO terms are "non-negotiable" and exist to protect children. He noted that Greaves had discussed his relationship with his probation officer but failed to disclose that children were involved. "You later went on holiday. You were turned around at Border Control in Turkey and you had to get a return flight," the judge said.
Greaves was sentenced to a total of 10 months in prison.
