'Dangerous predator' groomed vulnerable women

A sex offender has been jailed for using social media to groom vulnerable women and children.

Glenn Richards, 48, from Wootton-under-Edge previously pleaded guilty to five counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and a restraining order after contacting woman and girls online.

He was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court on Friday to five-and-a-half years in prison.

One victim, who was contacted by Richards on WhatsApp despite having a restraining order in place, told the court she now lived with "fear, anxiety, and a constant sense of unease".

"I often feel as though I have to look over my shoulder, worrying about what might happen to me next or to others," she added, explaining that she did not understand at the time she was being groomed.

"It was only later that I recognised the extent of his manipulation and the impact it had on me," she said.

The court also heard how the case against Richards centred around his use of the internet, including social media platforms and chat rooms, in contravention of his SHPO.

Richards had used to the devices to contact and groom vulnerable women and children.

Judge Lawrie KC handed Richards a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence for the SHPO breaches and a 12-month sentence for the breach of restraining order, to run consecutively.

Gloucestershire Constabulary's head of public protection, Det Supt Sue Fereday, described Richards as a "dangerous predator" who was "now behind bars, where he belongs".

"He is a manipulative man who has shown a complete disregard for the numerous court orders that have been served on him," she added.

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