In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that Robert Beresford, then 45, of Matlock Street, Eccles, Greater Manchester, was sentenced for attempting to meet an 11-year-old girl for sexual activity. On Monday, 13 May 2019, Beresford appeared at Liverpool Crown Court, where he was handed a 16-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years. The court heard how the defendant, a father with a teenage daughter, was snared in a “paedophile hunter” sting operation at Crosby Beach, Merseyside.
The investigation established that Beresford used a dating app called Oasis under the username “Real Woman Seeker 2” to contact a profile he believed belonged to an 11-year-old girl named Charlotte. During the exchange, he boasted about having “fantastic sex” with a previous 12-year-old girlfriend and invited the child to “try safe sex.” On 21 July 2018, Beresford drove to Crosby Leisure Centre to meet the child. Upon his arrival, he was confronted by the sting operator and subsequently arrested by Merseyside Police. Officers discovered condoms and tissues inside his vehicle.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Beresford admitted he intended to have sexual intercourse with the child at the time of the meeting. Liverpool Crown Court heard that despite his initial denials to the police, he pleaded guilty on the basis of full sexual intent. Judge Brian Cummings QC noted that while the defendant’s lack of previous convictions, learning difficulties, and mental health history saved him from immediate prison, he had “played those cards” and would face certain incarceration if he offended again in Eccles or elsewhere.
The judge noted that no indecent images were found on Beresford’s seized devices, but his specific actions in Crosby proved him to be a predatory risk. For his actions in Merseyside, the court ordered him to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activities. The prosecution reported that the defendant’s claim to have “made up” his history with a 12-year-old was a common tactic used by predators to groom victims into believing such activity was normal or enjoyable.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Robert Beresford was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: 16 months in prison, suspended for two years.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were activated for 10 years.
- SHPO: A Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) restricting his internet use and unsupervised contact with girls.
- Rehabilitation: 20 days of mandatory rehabilitation activity.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court following a guilty plea to attempting to meet a child.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Beresford is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Greater Manchester Police and the Probation Service. Due to the nature of the grooming and the discovery of items in his car at Crosby Beach, Merseyside, his management is subject to oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Beresford must comply with notification requirements regarding his residence in Matlock Street, Eccles, for the next 10 years. Authorities state that his SHPO is a vital safeguard, prohibiting any unsupervised contact with minors and allowing police to monitor his digital footprint. Any breach of his registration conditions, his SHPO, or the terms of his suspended sentence will result in immediate arrest and a return to Liverpool Crown Court.
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