A 29-year-old man, of no fixed abode, has been jailed for 30 months for his part in grooming a young child in Bath, who he encouraged to run away with him.
Carne Williams admitted the charge of meeting a child under 16 following grooming.
Bristol Crown Court was told that Williams, 29, had befriended a 15-year-old girl in Bath while living rough. Over the course of three weeks he encouraged the child to run away from home to be with him on three separate occasions.
During this time he exposed her to Class A drug use, alcohol, violence and acquisitive crime.
He was caught as he attempted to leave the local area with the child, thanks to the efforts of Bath-based officers working with detectives from the investigation team.
Sentencing him, His Honour Judge Hart described Williams’ behaviour as ‘predatory’ and ‘deplorable’ and that he had committed offences against an already vulnerable child.
The court heard that Williams had numerous convictions for violence and public order and had already been sentenced to a term of imprisonment for racially abusing the officer that arrested him.
He was given credit for his early guilty plea and sentenced to 30 months imprisonment. He was ordered to be on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting his access to children under 18 upon his release.
Officer in the case DC Neil Wood said: “Williams took considerable advantage of a vulnerable 15-year-old child, exposed them to considerable risk and succeeded in luring them away from their home on three separate occasions.
“His actions were intentional and brazen and he displayed little remorse for the effect that he has had on the child or their family.
“His plans to run away were only thwarted through determined efforts of Bath’s local police officers, working with detectives to track them down.
“We hope that the jail term and the orders granted today will significantly reduce the risk he poses to other children, allowing him to be effectively managed upon his release.”
