Colchester: Sex offender who groomed under-age girl jailed for 10 years
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Officers worked at pace when information came in about a missing vulnerable child in Colchester last year.
Detectives from our Criminal Investigation Department unlocked the evidence in this case and ensured a dangerous predator was brought before the courts where he received a 10-year prison sentence.
In October last year a young girl’s family were concerned she was meeting a stranger and may be in imminent danger. They tracked her down to the side of the A120 and alerted us to the situation.
Local officers were quickly on the scene and located Steven Pearson, who was said to have been following the victim.
The 42-year-old said that he was just exploring the countryside and was helping the girl.
A quick check revealed that Pearson was breaking bail conditions in connection with other child sex offences and when officers looked at his mobile phone they found messages on social media apps which caused them concern.
Pearson, of Somerfield Road, Finsbury Park, London, was arrested on suspicion of sexual grooming.
plead guilty
The young victim told officers that she had been contacted by Pearson while playing the online video game Roblox and then he had asked to message her on social media app Discord and arranged to meet her.
She also told officers Pearson had touched her in a sexual manner and had spoken to her about sex.
Pearson was found with a sleeping bag in his possession and the young victim told officers that he had condoms with him.
Pearson was taken to Chelmsford Police Station where he was furthered arrested on suspicion of additional sexual offences.
He was also arrested on suspicion of sexual offences involving a second child. This was in fact a decoy account, but he had believed he was talking to a young girl and had asked her to take photos of herself at school.
He responded no comment throughout his interview.
However, the evidence against Pearson was overwhelming and when he appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates Court on 25 October 2024 he was left with no option but to plead guilty.
He admitted two counts of engaging in sexual communications with a child, one count of attempted sexual communications with a child, one count of meeting a girl under 16 years following grooming, a charge of sexual assault of a girl under the age of 13 and one charge of inciting a girl aged under 13 years to engage in sexual activity.
sentenced
At Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday 21 February Pearson was jailed for 10 years, seven years in prison and three on an extended licence.
He was jailed for six years for sexual assault with a child and 8 months for incitement, to run concurrently.
He was sentenced to 3 years and 8 months in prison for grooming, to run concurrently and 8 months for sexual communications with a child to also run concurrently.
In relation to attempted sexual communications with a second victim he was jailed for 12 months, to run consecutively.
He was also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 20 years.
This order prevents him from avoidable contact with anyone under 18 years.
He is also not allowed to stay at any residence where a child lives without permission of a parent or guardian with full knowledge of convictions.
dangerous offender
Detective Sergeant Jon Loudon said:
"Pearson is an extremely dangerous offender who preys on very young and vulnerable girls.
"It took enormous strength for the victim in this case to speak up and I hope this sentence gives her reassurance and helps her move forward with her life.Children are safer with Pearson behind bars.
"We are committed to keeping children safe and will take every opportunity to protect and safeguard them.
"Please report any concerns you have to us, we will fully investigate and can also help you with information and advice on how to keep safe in the digital world."
Keeping your child safe online is not always an easy task. New technology, regular updates or upgrades can change how things work, sometimes making it difficult to keep up.
So, to help, we have put together some simple things you can do to make your child’s online devices safer.
Visit our Sort your settings page to find out how.
Synergy Essex
Synergy Essex offers independent and specialised services for individuals who have experienced rape or sexual abuse in Essex.
Synergy Essex is a partnership of three services; Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse (CARA), SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service, and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis).
The services provided by Synergy Essex are independent of the police. This ensures individuals can seek help whether they choose to report the incident or not. This could be in relation to something that happened recently or in the past.
Survivors and victims can access support by reaching out on their own or through a referral from someone they trust. This could be a family member, friend, or professional.
At Synergy Essex, people of all ages can benefit from specialised emotional support. This includes counselling and advocacy.
For those pursuing legal action, they offer the help of an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA). The advisers can guide and support them through the criminal justice process.
To learn more about the services available, please visit the Synergy Essex website.
Victims' code
At Essex Police we put victims at the heart of everything we do. The Victims’ Code explains the rights that everyone can expect to receive as a victim of crime, and helps us define what we must do for all victims from their initial contact with our force until the conclusion of their case.
Find out more about the code and to understand the rights of a victim of crime, on our support for victims and witnesses of crime page.
To report a crime, please use our digital 101 service. In an emergency call 999.