Ian Price
(Mail) - IAN PRICE, a self-confessed paedophile, targeted an under-age schoolgirl while on bail for trying to groom another youngster, a court heard today.
Price’s desire for children first came to light when his attempts to systematically corrupt a ‘hockey-playing virgin’ were secretly monitored by police.
London’s Southwark Crown Court heard that during months of increasingly lewd text and email exchanges he praised her beauty and told her he wanted to be her ‘guy;’ despite being 47 and more than three times her age.
He later played the sympathy card with a grandmother apparently on a life support machine, before turning to the ‘most powerful language of all, the language of love and romance.’
Price finally arranged to meet her, but instead of the young girl he hoped to take back to his home for a ‘couple of nights’, he found police waiting for him instead.
Neil Saunders, prosecuting, told jurors it was only then the defendant discovered the child he thought he had been grooming had really been an undercover officer who had recorded all his lurid suggestions.
He eventually pleaded guilty to attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity; attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act — a reference to a photograph he had sent to her — and trying to meet a child following sexual grooming. But within weeks of being released on bail he turned his attentions to a real 14-year-old.
The court heard that just weeks after he was arrested and bailed with a tag and curfew conditions, he allegedly targeted the second 14-year-old after getting hold of her mobile number.
‘But this one was real,’ said Mr Saunders.
‘She was also vulnerable and felt alone after splitting up with her boyfriend.’
Having allegedly pretended he was just 21, she still thought he was ‘too old for her but liked the attention.’
But Mr Saunders said Price, of Lakeside Path, Canvey Island — who denies inciting the child to engage in sexual activity between August 1 and October 31 last year — went on to torment the youngster with ‘disgusting’ texts and phone calls.
‘She was a 14-year-old child who was being pursued by a persistent, relentless older male. She was slightly frightened that if she told anyone what was happening it would end up with her getting into trouble.’
Eventually she confided in a friend and the matter was reported to police.
The barrister added that when interviewed, Price insisted he had thought she was 17; but, when he discovered her real age, he ‘continued to text her to find out why she had mislead me.’
He then added: ‘I swear on my life there is no way I would have done that if I had known she was underage.’
… (Evening Standard, 14/07/2009) – Paedophile warned he faces indefinite jail term
… (Fenland Citizen, 03/09/2009) – Paedophile jailed for grooming girl while on bail
Filed under: Crime, Updated | Tagged: Ian Price, Paedophile
