In 2026, the Offender Database recorded that then 26-year-old Gareth Roberts—of Norley Close, Whitecross, Warrington, Cheshire—was jailed for two years and four months following a paedophile hunter sting. The investigation established that in January 2019, Roberts initiated contact with a profile on the Kik messaging platform that he believed belonged to a 13-year-old girl. The prosecution reported that Roberts detailed disgraceful acts he intended to perform, specifically asking the youngster if she was still wearing her school uniform and requesting to see it.
The investigation established that Roberts was caught in a calculated sting operation after a decoy account was set up to pose as the teenager. The prosecution reported that Roberts sent explicit images and videos of himself and attempted to coerce the child into watching sexual activity. He eventually arranged to meet the girl at a Subway in Stockton Heath, with the explicit agreement that they would go to her home for sex, promising to bring her underwear, alcohol, and cigarettes to facilitate the abuse.
Judicial Findings and Last-Minute Cancellation
The court reported that Roberts only failed to attend the meeting because he lost his nerve at the last moment, inventing a lie that his father was ill in hospital. The investigation established that despite this cancellation, the sexually charged and vile communications continued until Roberts eventually blocked the account. The prosecution reported that during the sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, 26 October 2020, Judge Rachel Smith noted that his clear intent to meet the child for sexual purposes made the case very serious.
Judge-led proceedings at Liverpool Crown Court concluded with Roberts being sentenced to 28 months in prison. For his actions in Warrington and the nature of the attempted grooming reported, he was convicted of attempting sexual communication with a child, attempting to arrange a child sex act, and attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity. The judge noted that while he had begun to address his behaviour, the offences clearly crossed the custody threshold, necessitating immediate incarceration and the destruction of the laptop used in his crimes.
Status and Statutory Requirements
Based on the judicial orders issued at Liverpool Crown Court in 2020:
- Custodial Status: SERVED (Sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in 2020; custodial term completed).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for 10 YEARS.
- SHPO Status: Active (5-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting internet and device usage).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children or vulnerable adults; permanently barred from all regulated activity).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Attempting sexual communication with a child; Attempting to arrange a child sex act; Attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court; investigated by Cheshire Police.
- Criminal Record: Attempted to meet a 13-year-old at Subway for sex; Requested pictures of a child in school uniform; Sent vile videos of himself; Planned to bring alcohol and cigarettes to a minor’s home.
- Origin: Norley Close, Whitecross, Warrington, Cheshire.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Roberts is managed as a registered sex offender under the statutory requirements of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Cheshire. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his calculated use of messaging apps to groom a child and his intent to provide age-restricted items to facilitate abuse—he remains a priority for digital monitoring. Authorities reported that the 2020 conviction ensures Roberts is subject to strict conditions regarding his online presence and his proximity to schools.
As a registered sex offender, his details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that Roberts’ history identifies him as an individual who prioritised his own vile desires over the safety of a child. Any failure by Roberts to notify police of his residency in Warrington or elsewhere, or any attempt to bypass his digital monitoring, will result in immediate police intervention to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from a man who has violated the principles of human decency.
QUESTION – Given that the offender only stopped the meeting because he “lost his nerve” rather than out of moral objection, do you believe that “Intent to Meet” should legally carry the same mandatory minimum sentence as a completed sexual assault?
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