Rory Beswick sentenced for sex offences

Rory Beswick

Rory Beswick, from Heywood, has been sentenced for a catalogue of sex offences.

Beswick (born 07/01/1991) of Severn Road, Heywood was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court, Crown Square, to six years and three months imprisonment.

Beswick was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and has been given a Sex Offenders Prevention Order.

He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to eight counts of making indecent images of children, seven counts of sexual activity with a child and child abduction.

In August 2013, concerns were raised that a teenage girl was having contact with an older man.

These concerns came to the attention of the Sunrise Team, a multi-agency team that tackles child sexual exploitation consisting of police officers, social workers, Early Break drug and alcohol workers and family support workers from Parents Against Child Sexual Exploitation (PACE).

The team were made aware by the girl's parents that she was going missing from home more regularly and they thought she was in contact with an older man.

Officers identified this man as Beswick and spoke to him where they raised concerns about his contact with her. At this stage the teenager had not made any complaint or disclosure to the Sunrise Team.

Officers and staff from the Sunrise Team continued to work with the girl and in December 2013 her parents again raised concerns about her behaviour and how she was going missing from home more regularly.

In December 2013, officers issued Beswick with a warning notice under section 2 of the Child Abduction Act following concerns a teenage girl was being groomed for sex.

The warning explained that he could not have any contact with the teenage girl.

The team continued to work with the girl and her family and were able to establish that the girl was planning to meet with Beswick who was suspected of contacting the child and keeping her away from her parents when she was missing from home.

On 8 January 2014, officers attended Beswick's address, one of the officers knocked on the door and saw two people run from the back of the house up the stairs.

A short time later Beswick came to the door, the officer walked into the house, he asked if there was anyone else there and he said there wasn't.

Following a search of the house, officers found the girl hiding in the loft.

After Beswick's arrest for abduction, and with support from the sunrise team, the girl was able to disclose a number of serious sexual offences to Greater Manchester Police.

His house was also searched and his mobile phone was recovered which contained a number of indecent photographs and videos.

Detective Constable Ben Harris, of The Sunrise Team Rochdale's multi-agency child sexual exploitation team: "Beswick groomed this child over a number of months, she was flattered by his advances and thought he was being kind and affectionate towards her and did not realise he was abusing her.

"The parents of the girl and the Sunrise Team believed she was at risk of sexual exploitation, although she had not made any disclosures to the team.

"We will work closely with children and parents of children who we believe are at risk and where we have reason to believe an individual, in this case Beswick was taking or keeping the child from their parents, we will issue the perpetrator with an abduction notice.

"In issuing this notice we told Beswick he is liable to arrest and prosecution if he is caught with this particular girl.

"When officers visited his house, he was there with the girl and was subsequently arrested.

"The abuse has had a terrible effect on the girl and her family, who are only now starting to rebuild their lives.

"I hope that today the girl can try to put her past behind her knowing justice has been done and I want to pay tribute to her strength of character as she looks to move forward with her life."