Paedophile jailed after grooming and abusing a Margate teenager

June 30, 2017 Kathy Bailes News 0

Behind bars: Matthew Stephens
A paedophile who travelled to Margate to abuse a teenage girl he had groomed has been jailed for eight years.
Matthew Stephens, 51, of Murswell Lane in Silverstone, Northamptonshire, was charged with eight counts of indecent assault on a child, two counts of gross indecency and two other serious sexual offences.
He met the 14-year-old on a number of occasions in 2002 after striking up a conversation on an internet chat room for young people.He was 36 at the time but exchanged text messages and telephone calls with the girl before arranging to come to Kent where he committed numerous sexual offences against her.

Arrested

Stephens was arrested on Tuesday 11 August 2015 after his crimes were reported to Kent Police.

He was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday 27 June.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Ron Smith said: “Matthew Stephens groomed an innocent child and committed a series of terrible offences against her.”He knew exactly what he was doing when he began talking to his victim on an internet chatroom and displayed little hesitation in meeting her to serve his own depraved sexual appetite.

“Stephens will now quite rightly serve a lengthy period of time behind bars where he will no longer be a threat to young girls.”