A "predatory" Lancashire pervert has been jailed after sexually exploiting and grooming a 15-year-old girl who had been reported missing from home. 

Stuart Shorrock, 33, met his teenage victim online in January 2023, and after he told her he was 19-years-old they arranged to meet in person at various hotels.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that five months later, in May 2023, an investigation by the police was launched after the 15-year-old was reported missing from home.

Following enquiries with hotels in Newcastle, on May 31, the teenager was tracked to the Sleeperz Hotel in the city.

CCTV from the hotel captured Shorrock checking them in using false names.

Officers entered the hotel room and found evidence of sexual activity, and Shorrock was arrested for sexual exploitation of the girl.

In police interview the girl explained how she had met Shorrock online where he had claimed to be 19-years-old and that they had met previously at other hotels since January 2023 to engage in sexual activity.

Shorrock, of Pope Lane, Preston, pleaded guilty to one count of penetrative sexual activity with a child, four counts of non-penetrative sexual activity with a child and one count of causing or inciting a girl aged 13-15 to engage in sexual activity.

He was jailed for four and a half years at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday, February 28.

He was also handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and made to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

A restraining order was also imposed preventing him from contacting the victim for five years.

The SHPO forbids him from:

  • approaching, touching or making any attempt to communicate with any female under the age of 16
  • using any name other than his legal name and correct date of birth to register any social media account or access any social media platforms
  • deleting any chat history of any kind from any platform/application or installing any encryption or wiping software on any device
  • undertaking any work that is likely to bring him into unsupervised contact with persons under the age of 16 years
  • using any name other than his legal name and correct date of birth to make any hotel bookings/reservations for overnight accommodations

Investigating officer DC Helen Buckland said: “Shorrock groomed the victim by claiming to be a teenager himself and building an online relationship with her.

“This is classic predatory behaviour and Shorrock is a dangerous individual who is rightly now behind bars.

“We would like to thank the victim and her family for their courage supporting this conviction.”