Christopher Johnson, a 19-year-old resident of Katherine Street in Saltaire, West Yorkshire, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison at Bradford Crown Court for a series of grave sexual offences against children. The court heard that Johnson, who was of previous good character, had been found guilty by a jury following a trial of rape, inciting a child to engage in sexual communications, and possession of indecent images of children.
The offences came to light after Johnson befriended a teenage victim on social media under false pretences, cultivating a relationship that culminated in him raping her. This assault left the victim deeply traumatised, overwhelmed, and scared to the point where she felt like she was 'dying inside', as described in court proceedings reported by The Telegraph & Argus. In a separate incident, Johnson targeted a 13-year-old girl by persistently pressuring her to send him indecent images of herself and to meet for sex. Despite knowing her age, he incited her to engage in sexual communications and even sent her indecent images of himself.
Further investigation revealed that Johnson had downloaded a collection of illicit images of children, including material in Categories A, B, and C, with Category A representing the most serious depictions of child sexual abuse. His Honour Judge Ahmed Nadim, sentencing Johnson who appeared via video link from HMP Doncaster, condemned his actions as a 'calculated and exploitative use of social media platforms to prey upon vulnerable young people'. The judge emphasised that Johnson had used the anonymity and reach of the internet to manipulate and corrupt girls he identified as susceptible to exploitation, stating: 'Your conduct demonstrates a calculated and exploitative use of social media platforms to prey upon vulnerable young people. You used these platforms to cultivate relationships, in one case under false pretences, seeking to gratify your own sexual desires without regard for consent or legality.'
Judge Nadim highlighted the broader implications of Johnson's possession of indecent images, noting: 'These images are created at the cost of humiliation and damage to young, vulnerable children and by making these images you were giving succour to a marketplace where children are abused. This behaviour on your part underscores the pernicious reality of online exploitation.' He further described Johnson's actions as 'not only criminal but also morally reprehensible', revealing a 'sustained pattern of disregard for consent, for the dignity of your victims and for the boundaries that civilised society demands'.
In mitigation, defence barrister Abdul Shakoor argued that Johnson suffered from low maturity, a disrupted upbringing, diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and ADHD, experiences of bullying at school and college, and difficulties managing his actions or emotions. Shakoor also noted Johnson's entrenched self-harming, which had worsened in custody. Despite these factors, the judge imposed an aggregate custodial sentence of seven-and-a-half years to reflect the totality of the offending, with Johnson required to serve two-thirds in custody before release on licence. Additionally, Johnson must register as a sex offender for life and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order for the next ten years.
The case was reported by crime and court reporter Tony Earnshaw for The Telegraph & Argus, based on proceedings at Bradford Crown Court. West Yorkshire Police were involved in the investigation, though specific details of the timeline of the offences were not disclosed in the coverage.