A boy who thought he had turned to a “policeman” for help when he found himself lost had actually fallen into the clutches of a prolific paedophile in disguise. The 13-year-old boy had run away from his nan and travelled by himself to Liverpool on February 27 2023, where he hoped to find his mum’s house in Everton.

But in the early hours of the morning he was lost in the centre of Liverpool and turned to a city centre shopkeeper for help.

But child abuser Robert Byrne, 56, was skulking through the area dressed in a bulletproof vest and utility belt while holding what appeared to be a radio. He was flagged down by the shopkeeper – who had previously been led to believe he was an undercover police officer – at around 3.10am, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

READ MORE: Doctor arrested for arson to ex-boyfriend’s current girlfriend’s grandma’s home

The court heard Byrne told the shopkeeper he would “radio in” the lost boy, and walked away with him towards McDonald’s at Lime Street. He told him: “I was due to finish early but now I have to deal with you”, the court was told, reports LiverpoolLive.

As the toilets at the Lime Street branch were closed, they headed to the McDonald’s on Lord Street, where Byrne bought the boy a hot chocolate. As Byrne and the boy were sipping their drinks, the real police turned up.

They arrived before Byrne could “form the intent to commit a sexual offence”, the court heard.

Nicola Daley, prosecuting, told the court: “When he saw [the 13-year-old boy], who was upset and trying to get the police to assist him to go home; in order to spend time with [the boy] alone he presented himself, both to the shopkeeper and [the boy], as someone who could assist in getting [the boy] to the police.

“By the way that he dressed and also by telling the shopkeeper that he would ‘radio in’ to the police, by fraud, he got [the boy] to go with him, away from the safety of the shop. His fraudulent activities vitiated the apparent consent or willingness of [the boy] to walk with him.”

She added that there was “no lawful reason or justification for taking him away from the shop” because “he did not in fact contact the police himself at all to get them to come to help.”

Don’t miss…
Double killer, 63, bludgeoned gran with coffee table while on licence[REVEAL]
London gangs using female spotters to help steal £50m in watches[INSIGHT]
‘Pregnant’ woman knifed and rushed to hospital[ANALYSIS]

“Instead, thereafter, he preyed upon [the boy’s] obvious vulnerability; i.e. him being tired and cold by buying him a hot chocolate, again, to make him feel safe and thus ensure that [the boy] was willing to spend more time with him,” she said.

Ms Daley argued that while no sexual offence had taken place, “it is the prosecution case that after the defendant had bought [the boy] a hot chocolate, he had no intention of returning him to the police to be taken home.

“The prosecution submit that the court can safely infer this from the fact that, when walking towards the second McDonalds, the defendant told [the boy] that if anyone challenged why they were together, to tell them that he was his uncle.”

Byrne was already the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) at the time of the offences, the court heard, which prohibited him from spending time with underage boys.

• Support fearless journalism
• Read The Daily Express online, advert free
• Get super-fast page loading

Byrne was a prolific offender, with convictions on his record dating back to the 1980s including indecent assault, buggery (now charged as rape), breaching SHPOs, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault and making indecent images.

He had previously been caught in Manchester impersonating a police officer in 2003, when he befriended a boy near Piccadilly train station, breaching a SHPO.

Byrne initially denied the offences and was charged with kidnap, impersonating a police officer with intent to commit a sexual offence, and breaching a SHPO. He pleaded guilty to breaching his SHPO in March, before eventually admitting kidnap on the day of his trial on August 7. The impersonation charge was left to lie on the file.

Defending, Christopher Stables told the court the defendant had not committed any sexual offence against the boy and there was no evidence he had “formed the intention” to commit a specific sexual offence at the time the police arrived.

Sentencing, Judge David Swinnerton said: “The inference I draw is that the reason you wanted to spent time with [the boy] and kidnapped him is that you have a sexual interest in young boys. That was why you wanted to spend time with him. That is not to go as far as saying you’d formed an intent to commit a sexual offence at that point.”

He was jailed for five years and four months with an extended five year licence period. Byrne must serve at least two thirds of the jail term behind bars before he can apply for parole, and will only be released early if a Parole Board deem he is no longer a risk.

His SHPO was also extended indefinitely.

If you are a child or young person suffering sexual or physical abuse, the following organisations can also provide help and support:

NSPCC – call 0808 800 5000 or e-mail [email protected].

Childline – call 0800 111.

You can report rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences anonymously here.

In Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, support is provided by Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside who are available on 0151 558 1801 and, in St Helens and Knowsley, by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.

Source: Read Full Article