Man Jailed For Grooming East Mids Boys

18 January 2014, 07:40 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A man who groomed six teenage boys online, two of which were from the East Midlands, has been jailed for 15 years.

24-year-old Nicholas Geddes from Cheshire was sentenced at Derby Crown Court.

He was found guilty, or pleaded guilty prior to his trial, to several counts including meeting a child following sexual grooming, sexual activity with a child, attempted rape, rape and trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation.

Two of his victims were from Long Eaton while the other four boys were aged 14 or 15 and from Durham, Newcastle, Montrose and Gwent.

'Not always girls who are victims of exploitation'

The case against Geddes began on June 10 last year when the parents of a 13-year-old Long Eaton boy called police to report that their son had been groomed online, taken to a hotel in the East Midlands and abused by Geddes.

DS Steve Shaw, of the child exploitation unit, said:

'This sentence reflects the severity of Geddes' offending. Thankfully, cases such as this are rare but it does highlight the fact that it is not always girls who are victims of exploitation.'

'It's not only the parents and guardians of girls who need to be aware of the problem. I would urge all parents to be alive to the risks posed by social media sites and to discuss these risks with their children.

'In this case, the boys were effectively groomed while they were in their own homes. While work is being done by the police and schools to educate parents and children, there is still more to be done to raise awareness.'