38-year-old Paul Allen has been sentenced to 16 years behind bars and a further 6 years on licence for a number of child sex offences involving victims as young as 12-years-old.
Allen, formally of Hinton Road in Newport, was jailed at Winchester Crown Court today (Wednesday) after pleading guilty to 4 counts of sexual activity with a child, causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, 2 counts of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, 2 counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming, 3 counts of sexual communications with a child, 3 counts of attempted sexual communications with a child and 2 counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child.
Allen was caught by an undercover police officer who he thought was a 13-year-old-boy, whom he had arranged to meet at the Victoria Recreation Ground in Newport.
At a previous court hearing, it was detailed how Allen used the popular dating app Grindr to talk to the ‘child’, asking what turns him on. The conversation – which became more graphic – then switched to the app Snapchat. Allen, a father of 2, arranged to meet the boy, suggesting they could then go back to the ‘child’s’ home for sexual intercourse.
The park and Allen’s former home are located close to 3 schools.
Within days of his first court hearing last September, Police received a report that Allen had sexually abused a teenage boy over the summer. Police were told that the 14-year-old child had met Allen over the dating app Grindr in March 2021, and the pair communicated over Whatsapp where Allen shared explicit images of himself.
The pair met in person and the boy was abused by Allen, including an incident in June where Allen seriously sexually assaulted the boy in woodland in the Carisbrooke area.
Following his arrest, Allen’s mobile phone was examined by the police and evidence of further sexual offences were discovered, including communications which proved he groomed children so that he could sexually assault them using WhatsApp, Snapchat, Grindr and Kik.
It became clear to detectives that he had also sent indecent images of children and enquiries established he had also abused another teenage boy between 2014 and 2016.
Emma Lile, CPS Wessex Senior Crown Prosecutor, said:
“The CPS worked with Hampshire Police from the outset to make sure there was sufficient evidence to prosecute Paul Allen for these sickening crimes involving children.
“Our proactive partnership secured guilty pleas from Allen, which at least spared the children the further pain of having to relive their trauma at a trial.
“His crimes will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on them, but I hope that today’s sentence will provide a small sense of closure to the victims and their families.”
Chief Inspector Alex Charge:
“This investigation uncovered an appalling catalogue of child sex offences. I am grateful to all of the detectives and officers who worked incredibly hard to establish the full extent of the offending by Allan, both in the lead up to and following his arrests.
“Allen is a dangerous man who poses a risk to children, and I hope the public remain reassured that officers on the Island are making every effort, and utilising every tactic available to them to identify perpetrators of this type of abuse, bring them to justice, and safeguard the children who have been harmed.
“We will continue to target these offenders as a priority, and we encourage anyone who has been impacted by this kind of abuse to please get in touch with police so that our specially trained officers can listen to you, protect you, and provide you with the support you need.
“Not everyone has the confidence to speak to police. We recognise this and want those who aren’t comfortable talking to police to know that there are other support agencies out there that can help you.”
Allen has also been convicted of possession of cannabis and being concerned in making an offer to supply cannabis to another.
Face says it all really
If you want to make comments about crimes such as these then I suggest you change your name.
He was my friend. He dis not mean to do all those things.I hope he’s ok.
So the filth will serve 8 years and be out to re offend,these scum should never see the outside of a prison wall again but sadly our courts are too soft and too pc correct, by the same token we should bring back capital punishment for murder no matter what the age of the murderer, jail them until they are over 18 then hang them.
Would be wise to remove all genitalia and fit a bag for life
Sick, sick, sick. His house backs onto the recreation ground and the school grounds, or used to when I lived in that area. What would he feel if someone did what he did to his children? He needs to be locked up and key thrown away. I feel so sorry for his wife and children, what an awful association for them to have with a very sick minded person. I can’t even call him a man as that would be offensive to the male population.
Totally agree June. Like all pervs he should never see freedom again. Like you I always feel sorry for the forgotten victims that are these pieces of excrement leave behind, especially the children. Sadly he will now have a pampered existence, not having to worry about everyday problems like normal people, mixing with like-minded scrum with the only inconvenience being locked up for a few years.
Believe it or not… he used to always be at kj’s youth club in Newport… Says alot… A box in the ground is more appropriate for a sentence! But I forgot they have rights… Fuckin joke of a justice system!!
Shame our judicial system is so outdated!!!!!
Should definitely be castrated, kept in solitary confinement, and stay there till the scumbag comes out in a coffin !!!!!
Blunt shears ready……..
Hope all the victims have the support they all deserve.
And realise none of this was their fault…
It was the depraved lowlife scumbag…..
May he rot in hell …..
String him up by his balls.
It’s sad to know that some parts of the world except the behaviour of animals like this as normal, I don’t know if this comment will be posted, but if it is posted you should know what I’m trying to say..
Please dont insult animals as they would never act this way. They are predatory monsters !
All the time he is alive he will pose a threat to children. No amount of time in prison will change him, he is hard wired to abuse our most vulnerable. He should never be released
No comment!! Maybe!! Disgusting!!! Rot in hell!!
Something needs to be done about the tools he used how is their children on an app like grindr?