Colin Smith, a “dangerous” sex offender from Darwen, discovered with two adolescent females in his hotel room, has been incarcerated.
Colin Smith, residing on Everton Street, was apprehended in 2020 upon his return to a hotel room in Bury.
Smith was accommodating two adolescent girls who had been reported missing, and upon his return to the hotel, he encountered police from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) awaiting him.
Appearing at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Tuesday, Smith, 59, was jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to 11 charges against five victims.
These including offences of meeting a child following sexual grooming, making and distributing indecent images of children, and sexual activity with a child.
Among the offences, police said Smith “plied victims with alcohol in order to commit abhorrent and depraved offences”.
Described as a “calculated individual”, he created multiple social media accounts and aliases, identifying as a teenager, to lure his victims into trusting him.
Following his arrest, numerous devices belonging to Smith were seized which uncovered further victims of grooming, evidence of possession and distribution of indecent images of children, and extreme pornography.
Detective Chief Inspector Ian Partington, from Greater Manchester Police, said: “Firstly, I would like to publicly recognise the courage of the two young girls who were staying in the hotel room – they made contact with someone they could trust, which enabled us to safeguard them and, ultimately, secure this prosecution.
“Smith’s behaviour towards the victims was nothing short of sickening – in some cases, he plied them with alcohol in order to commit abhorrent and depraved offences.
“His prosecution and imprisonment should reassure our communities about our commitment to fighting this type of crime and keeping vulnerable people safe.”
Constable Carly Baines, of GMP’s Sexual Crime Unit, added: “This sentencing is the result of a long, meticulous investigation by our complex safeguarding hub.
“Smith’s behaviour is deplorable and completely unacceptable, and I hope this result sends a stark warning to offenders that GMP will not tolerate these behaviours.
“I would like to thank the victims for their resilience and bravery in reporting this incident to the police and giving us the opportunity to put a dangerous and depraved man in prison, and I hope this sentencing will now allow the victims to be able to move forward with their lives.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 111 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.