James Rowe – Macclesfield
Macclesfield man jailed for grooming teen girl via social media
James Philip Rowe, 30, from Belgrave Road, Macclesfield, has been jailed for three years after targeting an underage teenage girl on social media and pressuring her for sex.
The court heard that Rowe met the teenager through a mutual friend and began grooming her “almost immediately”. Over two weeks, he sent her explicit images of himself, persistently demanded she send images in return, and pressured her to meet him for sex.
Prosecutor Mark Connor told the court that Rowe’s messages were “extremely explicit” and that he even claimed he wanted the girl to “have his baby.” The girl eventually confided in her mother, who contacted the police.
When arrested, Rowe initially denied the offences and claimed his social media account had been hacked. However, he later admitted the offences and pleaded guilty to four child sex offences:
- Two charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity
- Meeting a child following sexual grooming
- Arranging or facilitating a sexual offence against a child
The court also heard Rowe was a convicted sex offender, having previously admitted to encouraging sexual activity with a child in 2013 after sending letters to a minor while in prison.
Judge Nicholas Woodward said: “Despite knowing she was under 16, and at one point believing she may be 14, you instigated contact on social media. That almost immediately became blatantly sexual.”
Rowe was sentenced to 3 years in prison and issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) restricting his access to children for 10 years.
📍 Location: Belgrave Road, Macclesfield
📌 Sarah’s Law Reminder: If you are concerned someone with access to a child may pose a risk, you can make a request under Sarah’s Law (Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme). Visit your local police website or station for more details.
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