Richard Dale Ford, a Pembrokeshire social worker and Hackney Paedophile, navigated pornographic websites, coordinating a sexual encounter with a 13-year-old girl in a hotel room, stating he would provide knickers, alcopop and lubrication.
Richard Dale Ford, 51, currently residing on Princess Way Road, Hackney, has received a five-year prison sentence for many sexual crimes.
The court was informed that Richard Dale Ford, a former adult social worker, had legally altered his name by deed poll.
Social Care Wales informed the Western Telegraph that he is recognised as Dale Richard Barker and is presently under an interim suspension order.
Upon his arrest, Richard Dale Ford was discovered to possess almost 900 obscene photos of children, 254 of which were in the most severe class A category. He had shared or distributed 19 photos from this collection.
Richard Dale Ford utilised two websites to enable child sexual exploitation. He expressed a sexual attraction to young children and “developing girls and young girls that require guidance”.
Unbeknownst to him, he was conversing with undercover law enforcement officers.
Richard Dale Ford stated his intention to groom a girl aged nine or ten and enquired about arranging “play dates” to engage in sexual intercourse with young girls.
In discussions with whoever he believed to be the abusive mother of a 13-year-old girl, to whom he transmitted 19 indecent photographs, Richard Dale Ford envisioned sexual encounters with her daughter.
He deliberated about reserving a hotel room to engage in sexual activities with the youngster while the mother was present, and he also conversed with the adolescent over sexual topics.
In this subsequent conversation, Richard Dale Ford disclosed that he had inappropriately touched a teenage girl.
Upon his arrest in September 2022, law enforcement confiscated equipment from his residence and discovered 910 indecent photographs. There were 254 in category A, 123 in category B, and 533 in category C.
Richard Dale Ford’s admissions of having sexually assaulted a minor prompted an independent police inquiry. Officers successfully identified the victim, a teenager, who reported three sexual offences perpetrated by Richard Dale Ford.
In all three instances, Richard Dale Ford deliberately groped or fondled her over her clothing.
In a victim impact statement, read out in court by her mother, the girl said.
I can’t believe you did this. It has changed my life.
She said that she could not use public transport without feeling anxious and scared, worrying that any man nearby would touch her and that she had lost a lot of trust. She didn’t like being on her own in public at night.
Sometimes I cry at night, she said. Sometimes I have panic attacks too. How can someone be so sick in the head that they can do this? You knew I was vulnerable, and you used that against me. I can’t believe you did this.
In Richard Dale Ford’s defence, his counsel said that he was remorseful and had sought help, enrolling on a Safer Lives course and seeking professional help. He had pleaded guilty to all offences and had no previous convictions.
Ford was sentenced for arranging the commission of a child sexual offence, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, possession of 910 indecent images, distribution of 19 of these images, and three sexual offences against the teenage girl.
Judge Her Honour Catherine Richards sentenced him to a total of five years in prison. He will spend half of this in custody and the other half on licence.
Richard Dale Ford was put on the sex offenders register for life. A further hearing later this week will finalise the terms of a restraining order and a sexual harm prevention order.
A spokesperson for Social Care Wales said: We can confirm that Richard Ford, who was previously known to us as Dale Richard Barker, is currently subject to an interim suspension order, which prohibits him from working in a registered social care role in Wales.
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