A paedophile who spent nearly £21,000 to set up Skype live streams of child abuse in the Philippines has been jailed. Bernard Grace, 72, was found by police with thousands of chat messages to women.
The sick pervert was found 'liaising' with women online even after his arrest over sending images of himself and money. He admitted to the charges put to him in court, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Investigators from the National Crime Agency (NCA) searched his home in October 2020 and recovered an Apple MacBook which contained 23 chats in which Grace offered to make payment in exchange for the sexual abuse of children and gave 'instructions'.
Rosalind Scott-Bell, prosecuting the case at Manchester Crown Court, said: "These women were endeavouring to make ends meet, to better themselves and the lives of their children in relation to education.
"The defendant would engage in conversation with the younger members and extended members of the family, and would send images of his [genitals]."
In one conversation, the court heard how Grace told one woman who had a five-year-old daughter he would send her money if she performed an indecent act. He then sent a graphic picture to the woman and said to show it to the child, paying £15 for the act.
In another exchange, a woman asked if he would pay her rent. The 72-year-old wanted a picture of her nine-year-old daughter in return and sent two payments totalling £35.
One conversation recovered contained over 1,000 messages between August and September 2019. He offered money to a woman in return for her children to perform indecent acts and sent the cash via Paypal with an image of himself.
The court heard how Grace 'encouraged' the woman to live stream the abuse and offered money for 'live shows'. He sent that woman £173 and was said to have had 'persisted' when women refused to carry out his instructions.
He bombarded one woman with up to 5,000 messages, asking her to send indecent images of her child, with a number of inappropriate photos found on his computer. NCA officials were granted access to his bank account.
He was arrested and when officers asked why he made his demands, he said: "Just to push it, you know what they are like in the Philippines. You know sex over there doesn't mean nothing to them, they have sex when they're 11."
In the period between 2015 and 2021, he sent more than £20,800. When his offending manager visited in 2021, after his arrest, he was sat using a computer and was believed to be 'liaising' with women in the Philippines.
Simon Blakeborough, defending, said his client had a number of health conditions. "There is a suggestion he will not survive after a period of incarceration. He lives an isolated life away from friends and family."
Recorder Anthony Donohue said: "What you did involved the exploitation of vulnerable and impoverished individuals in the Philippines. It's staggering that over a period of time you sent £20,800 in payments for sexual services involving the exploitation and attempted exploitation of children."
Grace, from Wythenshawe, Manchester was jailed for eight years. He pleaded guilty to charges of arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence; and making indecent photographs of a child. He is also the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order meaning his internet usage is restricted. He will also be on the Sex Offender Register for the remainder of his life.
Following the hearing, NCA operations manager Graham Clare said: "Bernard Grace was an unrelenting offender, whose actions led to several children being abused in the most horrific and depraved manner for his own sexual gratification.
"He may have thought he'd avoid detection by arranging for abuse to take place against vulnerable children on the other side of the globe, but the NCA has the capabilities to investigate online and internationally.
"We work with overseas partners to tackle the abhorrent abuse of children, and actively target offenders who pay for it to be live streamed. There is no bigger priority for us than protecting children, wherever they may be."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
