A "MANIPULATIVE and predatory" paedophile has been jailed for four years after using a fake identity to contact girls under the age of 10.

Richard Stanley Cullum, of Buxton Road in Weymouth, appeared before Bournemouth Crown Court on September 16 2022, for sentencing after pleading guilty to four charges of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard how Cullum, 41, used his iPad to contact four girls aged between seven and 10 whilst posing as a 13-year-old girl called Rosie.

Robert Harding, prosecuting, read extracts of the messages Cullum sent to the girls between April 1 2021 and June 25 2021.

Some of the messages included:

  • “Does your mum know about me yet? She doesn’t know I send you photos though lol”
  • “Remember I’m here for you anytime. I wish we could call.”
  • “I hope you’re not in trouble and your mum is not annoyed with you. Tell me if she is because I don’t want you to get into more trouble.”
  • “I hope we can meet one day like bffs"

None of the girls received indecent images though Mr Harding described the contents as "very worrying".

On more than one occasion Cullum told at least one of the girls he had purchased them gifts - including an Apple watch.

The court also heard that he researched the girls' school addresses and set up TikTok accounts for two of the girls.

In mitigation, Kevin Hill said there was 'never any intention' to meet any of the girls, saying that Cullum presenting himself as a young girl meant 'there could have been no prospect of that'.

Mr Hill said the offending began with Cullum contacting one of the girls who then introduced Cullum to the other three ‘by way of a group chat’.

Prosecutors said the breaches were “clearly, in one mind, a precursor to an assault or assaults being committed.”

They added the breaches were ‘very serious’ and posed a ‘serious risk of harm’ to the victims.

Cullum's defence counsel argued that claim was ‘taking it a step too far’ and said Cullum was “engaging in a fantasy of being a young girl in a friendship group of young girls”.

Prior to the sentence being imposed, the court heard Cullum had previous convictions stretching back to 2013 including multiple counts of sexual assault against a child, possessing indecent images and a number of breaches of sexual harm prevention orders.

Cullum had been issued with a sexual harm prevention order on October 29, 2018 and was released from jail on March 19, 2020.

The court heard a probation officer had then become concerned about one of the email accounts set up by Cullum.

When police examined an iPad and a phone they found evidence of 'considerable conversation' between Cullum and the girls.

A pre-sentencing report described Cullum as showing an "entrenched and predatory pattern of behaviour" towards children and described him as "manipulative".

The judge His Honour William Mousley KC, said Cullum's breaches were "on the face of it grooming behaviour with a view to what might be achieved down the line".

Cullum’s defence counsel requested a suspended custodial sentence saying Cullum was “working hard to address his behaviour".

The judge sentenced Cullum to four years in jail; to be released on licence after two years subject to recall.