Sittingbourne minicab boss jailed for child sex offencesA FORMER Sittingbourne minicab company boss was sentenced to 16 months in prison after pleading guilty to abduction, grooming and sexual activity with a 14-year-old boy.
Gareth Braithwaite, 42, of Dargets Road, Walderslade, Chatham faced charges of abducting a child, sexual activity with a child, grooming a child under 16 and having indecent images of children on his computer.
Braithwaite first pleaded guilty on July 16 to a charge of child abduction that took place on June 13 this year.
He also admitted to having sexual activity with a child on May 28, meeting a child following grooming, having met up on two previous occasions, but he pleaded not guilty to a count of possessing indecent images of children on his computer between May 28 and September 12 this year.
The pair met through the internet, on a social networking site and agreed to meet in a Witham pub before heading to Braintree Freeport.
They had exchanged text and other communications over several months, some explicit, and of a “wholly inappropriate kind”.
Other messages made reference to a relationship between the two – with the victim referring to Braithwaite in texts as “hun” and even saving his number as “my baby” in his phone.
The victim had told friends he was gay and that he was in a relationship with texts from the defendant reading “this is the best day of my life. Can’t wait until we’re living together”.
Social services notified police after teachers and school friends of the victim raised concerns about his behaviour with one other adult and there were suggestions he had been “meeting up with adult males” on a regular basis.
Stephen Rose defending said: “This young man was already sexually experienced with contact with at least one adult male long before he came across my client on the Internet.
“[In text messages] the victim demonstrated a high level of knowledge and sexual experience and the situation he found himself in was not an alien one.
“The defendant is not a habitual trawler of the internet for young boys, he accepts what he did was wrong.
“But the defendant is from Kent and so did not know the Braintree area, the victim had to give direction to Freeport and was in the car not only voluntarily, but with enthusiasm.”
When apprehended by Essex Police at Braintree Freeport, near McDonalds, the victim was found in Braithwaite’s Range Rover.
A room key for a Southend hotel was also found in Braithwaite’s car, along with lubricant purchased by one of the victim’s friends to be used “in some sexual activity or other”.
Braithwaite had also set up a Virgin bank card account to pay the victim money – often at his request, demanding payments via texts.
The court heard how the defendant had used the account on numerous occasions to give the victim money for things like CDs, a bike and even to get a new tattoo.
Judge David Turner QC said: “I accept that initially you thought you were contacting someone of age for the purpose of a lawful homosexual relationship.
“But at a relatively early stage it was clear this was a much younger boy. Police had significant concerns – clearly he was a troubled boy and you were a middle aged adult.
“Although I’m prepared to admit he has cooperated with much of what has occurred to the extent that the abduction in not a typical abduction in which a child is taken somewhere unknown in distress or by someone they did not know.
“In your own acknowledgment this was an inappropriate relationship with that boy and the relationship between the two of you was wholly wrong and shouldn’t have happened.
“Tragically he had already lost his innocence and had been damaged, he appears to be a willing participant in that sexual activity
“At that point you should have run a mile, but not only did you not run, you got drawn further and further in and this was a grave error in judgement
“You have accepted responsibility for what you did and have paid a heavy price for this activity with the public shame that accompanies it and the loss of good character - no doubt this will haunt you for some time to come.
Braithwaite was sentenced to 16 months in prison for one count of child abduction, six months for sexual activity with a child and nine month for grooming a child under 16.
These are to be served concurrently and a fourth count of possessing and downloading indecent images of children was left to lie on file.
He was also made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order so that the defendant will not be able to work with vulnerable people or be alone with boys under 16 without permission of parents.
A statutory victim surcharge of £60 was also applied ordered.
Gareth Braithwaite’s brother Duncan used to drive for his company based in Sittingbourne and has been looking after his affairs since the arrest.
The 54 year old said: “He’s just a regular, normal guy, who’s gay, and got caught up in a situation that got out of control on him.
“He’s not been searching for young boys online, he’s not a paedophile, he accepts what he did and knows he’s done wrong and pleaded guilty and cooperated from the outset.
“I’m very close to my brother and I’ve had to sell all his stuff, his flat and sort out his business, he’s learnt his lesson and won’t do it again.”
source:
http://www.canterburytimes.co.uk/Sittin ... story.html
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