In February 2019, the Offender Database reported that Jack Burton, then 24, of Hanover Street, Rochdale, appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court after being snared in an undercover police operation. Burton unwittingly sent video footage of himself performing a sex act to an officer he believed was a 13-year-old girl.
The court heard that in January 2018, Burton initiated contact with the “girl” via the messaging app Kik. He engaged in predatory grooming behaviour, asking the child inappropriate questions about what she did at sleepovers, if she had ever been drunk, and whether she slept naked. On February 2, the communication escalated when Burton sent a video of himself performing a sexual act. Throughout the entire interaction, he believed he was speaking to a young teenager. Still, he was actually communicating with a specialist officer from the Greater Manchester Police online child abuse team.
Burton pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child to look at images of sexual activity. His defence team argued that since the offences occurred, Burton had engaged with a rehabilitation course and had ceased using apps like Kik and Skype. However, the prosecution maintained that his actions were a clear exhibition of deliberate grooming behaviour designed to exploit a minor.
During the hearing, the probation service was granted a one-week adjournment to prepare a comprehensive pre-sentence report assessing the level of risk Burton poses to the public. As a result of his guilty plea to these sexual offences, Burton was required to sign the Sex Offenders Register.
Upon sentencing, Burton was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which legally restricts his access to the internet and prevents him from using encrypted messaging apps to contact minors. He is managed under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in the Rochdale area, ensuring that police and probation services monitor his digital activities and residence to prevent further predatory conduct.
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