Joshua Bate, a 25-year-old sex offender from County Durham, was sentenced at Durham Crown Court for attempting to groom a 12-year-old girl just days after being released from prison. Bate, who now identifies as female under the name 'Lily', has a history of sexual offences, including a seven-year jail term in 2015 for raping a young woman after unlawfully entering her flat and removing her clothing.
Following his release on licence, Bate committed another offence in 2020 by sexually assaulting a schoolgirl on a bus, resulting in a six-month prison sentence and the requirement to serve the remainder of his original seven-year term. On New Year's Eve, prior to the incident in question, Bate was released from prison in the Midlands. He joined a Facebook group and was invited to stay at the home of a woman in County Durham who believed in giving him 'a chance' to reform.
Bate arrived at the woman's home on 3 January 2022, with the agreement that he would sleep on the sofa and not venture upstairs where her daughters, including the 12-year-old victim, were sleeping. However, on the first night, Bate used a phone registered as 'Lily's' to send messages to the girl, inviting her to 'creep downstairs and snuggle in under the covers' with him, lying 'face to face'. The messages escalated, with Bate asking, 'Do you mind if my hands wander and we kiss on the lips. Don’t feel awkward. This is our secret', and instructing her to come down only if her sisters were asleep.
The girl recognised the inappropriate nature of the messages and replied that Bate was 'being a paedo' before blocking further contact. She immediately showed the messages to her mother, who confronted Bate and contacted the police. Bate was arrested and, during interview, admitted sending the messages, stating they were sexually motivated. He expressed regret, claiming it would have been limited to 'kissing and cuddling', but acknowledged posing a risk to children and his inability to control himself in their presence.
In a victim statement, the girl's mother expressed deep regret over her 'snap decision' to allow Bate to stay, stating, 'He’s a sex offender no matter what changes he makes. I feel he’s a danger to everybody, but particularly vulnerable people and younger girls.' Prosecuting, Chris Baker outlined the grooming attempt as a clear incitement to sexual activity. Mitigating, Peter Sabiston noted Bate's immediate remorse and described the incident as a 'simple and short grooming incident', with Bate accepting some sexual contact but denying it would be serious or penetrative.
Judge Ray Singh deemed Bate a 'significant risk' of serious offending and imposed an extended 40-month prison sentence to protect the public. Bate must serve two-thirds before parole eligibility and may serve the full term. Additional measures include a five-year extended licence period, a lifetime restraining order against the girl, indefinite registration as a sex offender, and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The case was reported by The Northern Echo on 3 February 2022.