Birmingham man convicted of child grooming

4 September 2019, 16:31 | Updated: 4 September 2019, 16:33

A man who groomed two young boys has been jailed for 21 years after a West Midlands Police investigation.

Barry Ragg , 58, was arrested after the two boys aged, 10 and 11, were brave enough to speak out about the abuse they had been subjected to.

Ragg would tell the boys that if they told anyone about the abuse, they would be taken away from their families and put into care.

Eventually, they were brave enough to confide in their mother and Ragg was arrested in August 2018.

Detectives carried out a search of his home in Birmingham and found his computer had indecent images and videos of children.

In June this year, a jury found Ragg guilty of 23 counts of sexual assault and rape of a child under the age of 13. Yesterday (3 September), he was jailed for 21 years and given an extended licence for four years.

It means Ragg will be monitored and will also be on the sex offender register for life.

DC Clare Howes, from the Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “Ragg exploited the vulnerabilities of two young boys, but we were able to build up a level of trust with them so our specialist officers were able to get a full account of Ragg ’s offending.

“Ragg is one of the most dangerous offenders I have ever had dealings with in my nine and a half years in this role. I am pleased with the sentence and the extended licence, which means we will be able to proactively manage him when he is released.

“It has had a significant impact on the boys and their families and they continue to receive support from other agencies. I commend these boys for their bravery and being strong throughout this trial.

“We would urge anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation to get in contact with us."