Philip Thurston

Philip Thurston

34, Male Custodial - 2y 3m 2025-11-17

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Offender ID: 492f1f95-9e07-4db7-af38-3e3b110e4836

Offence Summary

Philip Thurston groomed a 13-year-old girl online by sending sexualised messages and arranged to meet her, taking her on car journeys despite knowing her age. He was sentenced to two years and three months in prison for taking a child out of lawful control.

Full Description

Philip Thurston, a 34-year-old man from Cambridge, targeted a 13-year-old girl online in June 2023, initiating contact via Instagram to obtain her Snapchat details. Despite being aware of her young age, he sent sexualised messages over two weeks, expressing desires such as 'getting with her' if she were older and describing explicit intentions.

Thurston arranged to pick the girl up near her home. On the first attempt, she declined to enter his car, but shortly afterwards, he returned and drove her to Cambourne and then to a McDonald's in Caxton, where he purchased food for her. During these interactions, he appeared quiet and reserved in person, contrasting his online behaviour.

On 28 June 2023, at approximately 7.50pm, the victim informed her parents she was going for a drive with a supposed 17-year-old boy named Fabio. Her stepfather grew suspicious and followed her to a nearby bus stop, where Thurston waited in his vehicle. The stepfather photographed the car and tailed it through Cambridge before losing sight. While driving, Thurston admitted his true age of 32, not in his late teens as claimed, and became angry upon noticing the pursuit, accusing the girl of setting him up and stating, 'Your stepdad is lucky he didn’t catch me,' before returning her home.

Following the incident, Thurston was arrested by Cambridgeshire Constabulary. In his police interview, he admitted to meeting the victim but claimed he believed she was 14 and insisted he was 'not a bad person,' asserting that he did not realise picking up a child was illegal and that he merely wanted to 'help people' as she had requested a drive.

Thurston pleaded guilty to the offence of taking a child so as to remove him/her from a person having lawful control at a hearing in January 2025. On 17 November 2025, at Cambridge Crown Court, he was sentenced to two years and three months' imprisonment and received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). Detective Constable Daniel Knight, the investigating officer from Cambridgeshire Constabulary, stated: 'Thurston is clearly a danger to children, and I’m pleased he is now behind bars. Protecting children from abuse is a force priority and we will do everything we can to protect them from harm.'

This case highlights the risks of online grooming and the importance of parental vigilance, as reported by Cambridgeshire Constabulary in their official news release.

Location

City: Cambridge

County: Cambridgeshire

Address: Laburnum Close

Case Details

Police Force: Cambridgeshire Constabulary

Sentence Length: 2 years 3 months (Custodial)

Expected Release: December 2026
Guideline: two-thirds served for sentences ≥4 years; half otherwise (England & Wales). Estimates only.

Full Sentence End: February 2028
If served in full. Estimates only.

Name heritage (predicted origin)

Country: United Kingdom

Confidence: 95%

Special Thanks

A huge thank you to Cambridgeshire Constabulary for their tireless dedication in bringing this offender to justice. Your commitment and hard work truly help keep our communities safe, and we are deeply grateful.

Source: cambs.police.uk

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