Jail for internet teen 'groomer'

Cheetham was arrested at a railway station after the girl's parents called in police

A convicted sex offender has been jailed at Swansea Crown Court for grooming and having sex with a 15-year-old girl.

Phillip Cheetham, 48, from Preston, Lancashire, spent several nights in hotels in south Wales with the teenager after meeting her over the internet.

He had been convicted of a grooming offence in Nottingham in March 2005.

Cheetham admitted four sex offences and was told by the judge: "You are to be regarded as a dangerous offender."

Prosecuting, James Jenkins told the court Cheetham and the girl first made contact via MSN messaging over the internet in October 2005.

At the time Cheetham was attending a sex offenders' programme, having been convicted of "grooming" a 14-year-old girl at Nottingham Crown Court in March 2005.

He had been given a community rehabilitation order and given an indefinite ban on entering chatrooms.

"Early in March 2006 he travelled from Preston spending time with the complainant at a variety of hotels in Swansea and Carmarthen at which sexual intercourse took place," Mr Jenkins told the court.

The girl had told her parents she was staying with a friend but they became suspicious and reported her as missing to the police.

You are a person with a particularly serious problem and you must be regarded as a person who is likely to repeat this kind of activity Judge Michael Burr

She contacted them and said she would return home on 7 March this year.

'Dangerous offender'

They arranged to meet her at Port Talbot station and as she got off the train police swooped and arrested Cheetham.

"At the outset the defendant admitted the sexual relationship," added Mr Jenkins.

"It's the crown's case that he knew full that she was 15 and no older."

In mitigation, Patrick Griffiths said Cheetham had pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming at the earliest opportunity.

"He did not use ant threat or force at any stage and he did not cause any physical injury," said Mr Griffiths.

"At no stage did he ever do anything that she did not consent to."

Judge Michael Burr said it was particularly concerning that at the time Cheetham was grooming the girl he was also attending a probation service programme for sexual offenders and was on the sex offenders' register.

"You are a person with a particularly serious problem and you must be regarded as a person who is likely to repeat this kind of activity," he told Cheetham.

"The public is at risk of you committing further like offences and you are to be regarded as a dangerous offender."

Cheetham will be eligible for parole in 18 months.