In 2026, the Offender Database recorded that Paul Harrison, then 59, of Albert Street, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, was jailed for 32 months after targeting a girl he believed to be 14 years old. On Tuesday, 17 February 2026, Harrison appeared at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court for sentencing. The court reported that the defendant used “highly sexual language” during conversations with a profile he believed belonged to a schoolgirl, despite being explicitly told her age.
The investigation established that between March and April 2025, Harrison sent messages to a Facebook profile managed by a decoy. The prosecution reported that he told the “teenager” he would be her “perfect boyfriend” and encouraged her to perform sexual acts on herself. Staffordshire Police reported that Harrison was confronted by a paedophile hunter group at his home in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, in April 2025 after he sent a video of himself performing a sexual act and pornographic videos of other women to the decoy.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Harrison admitted his guilt but claimed his actions were driven by “loneliness and isolation.” Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard that the defendant had asked the decoy if it was “ok for a man of my age to have sexual thoughts about a girl your age” and urged her to “be naughty” with him. The prosecution reported that during his messages, Harrison admitted he knew his feelings were “not normal” and that anyone who found out would think it was “weird.”
Recorder Robert Smith noted that the defendant undoubtedly gained sexual gratification from his actions and demonstrated a clear sexual attraction to teenage girls. For his actions in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Harrison pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, and attempting to incite penetrative sexual activity. The judge noted that an immediate custodial term was necessary as the defendant knew full well that what he was doing was “wrong and illegal.”
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Paul Harrison was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: 32 months in prison.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were activated for life.
- SHPO: A 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court following a decoy sting.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Harrison is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Staffordshire Police and the prison estate. Due to the “predatory” nature of the online grooming in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, his management is subject to oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Harrison must comply with notification requirements regarding his residence in Albert Street, Longton, for the rest of his life. Authorities state that his 15-year SHPO includes strict prohibitions on his contact with minors and his use of social media platforms. Any breach of his registration conditions, his SHPO, or his licence terms upon release will result in immediate arrest and a return to Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.
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