A 36-year-old Tyne and Wear man has received an 18-year extended custodial sentence at Teesside Crown Court after pleading guilty to a catalogue of 28 child sexual offences involving two teenage girls.
Paul Black, residing at Wordsworth Crescent, Gateshead, appeared in the dock for sentence on Tuesday 3 November 2026 having formally admitted the full indictment brought against him.
The court heard that Black initiated contact with the first victim via the social media application Snapchat in January 2026. Black actively groomed the child over the platform, attempting to induce her into compliance by asking if she wished to make money through sexual intercourse.
Between March and July 2026, Black orchestrated a series of physical meetings with the teenager and subsequently with her friend. During this four-month period, Black repeatedly transported both girls in his vehicle, where he subjected them to sustained sexual abuse, including multiple acts of rape, assault by penetration, and sexual assault.
A comprehensive police inquiry uncovered the full extent of Black’s offending, with digital examinations confirming illicit communications and the possession of child abuse imagery.
At Teesside Crown Court, Black entered formal guilty pleas to 28 offences:
Eight counts of rape
One count of assault by penetration
Four counts of sexual assault
Four counts of paying for sexual services of a child
Five counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity
Two counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming
One count of engaging in sexual communication with a child
Three counts of making an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child
Under the provisions of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992, all child victims and complainants involved in these proceedings are protected by mandatory, lifelong statutory anonymity. Any publication, broadcast, or public dissemination of information capable of leading to their identification is strictly prohibited under UK law.
Sentencing Black, the presiding judge classified him as a dangerous offender who presented a serious ongoing risk to children, passing an extended sentence of 18 years. Under the terms of the sentence, Black must serve an immediate custodial term of 15 years in prison, with an extended licence period of three years under strict supervision upon eventual release.
The court also made Black subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to prohibit future unsupervised contact with children and restrict digital device usage, granted a 10-year restraining order protecting the victims, and ordered him to comply with statutory notification requirements on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Image – Offender Custody Photograph
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