Paedo caught red-handed helping ‘as an elf’ in school Santa’s grotto | UK | News
Shocked viewers contacted police after a registered sex offender was spotted ‘being an elf’ at a primary school’s Christmas Fair Santa grotto. The 28-year-old convicted pervert, who has a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), allegedly helped out with a Christmas grotto by handing out presents like an elf does to children in Warrington, Cheshire.
Cheshire Police confirmed the man was arrested at 3am on Christmas Eve and given conditional bail; The police stressed: “He will now be held accountable for his actions.” The north-west England force stressed there was no indication the children were at risk or had been attacked by the young man and they did not give details of why he had a SHPO.
But this wouldn’t be the first time a sex offender has used the magic surrounding Santa to gain access to children or put themselves in a position to sexually assault women.
Pervert Raymond Finn, 71, was convicted of three counts of sexual assault by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court in December 2018 after targeting two women working as a festive performer dressed as Santa Claus.
The court was told in 2021 how Finn “slapped one victim on the bum” and pushed his crotch into her.
He then tried to pull his body towards the second victim. He was given a four-month suspended prison sentence and was also given a SHPO and made to sign the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.
In this latest incident, Cheshire Police say a “registered sex offender has been arrested following reports that he was volunteering at a Christmas Fair in Warrington”.
Police added: “At 7.10pm on Tuesday, December 23, police were contacted by a member of the public who believed they had seen a registered sex offender at a primary school Christmas fair in Warrington.
“The caller said the man was helping at the Christmas grotto and was seen handing out gifts to children.”
Following reports, a 28-year-old registered sex offender from Warrington was arrested at around 3am on Wednesday, December 24, on suspicion of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Following the arrest, Detective Chief Inspector Robert Pritchard, of the Sex Offender Management Unit, said: “Whilst there were no reports of any children being harmed, the reality is that the suspect should not have been at the event.
“He is aware of his circumstances as a registered sex offender, but this time he appears to have ignored them.
“Thankfully, as a result of public information, he was quickly arrested and will now be held accountable for his actions.”
