Man jailed for 16 years for online child sex offences

Last week (Friday 24 October) at Liverpool Crown Court, Graham Patterson, 37, from Merseyside, was jailed for 16 years following a joint investigation by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit and the Metropolitan Police into online child sexual exploitation. He will also serve an additional five years on licence.

Patterson, who has a history of child sex offences, was previously jailed for six years in 2016 for causing and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and for taking, making, and distributing indecent images of children. He received a further 12-month sentence in 2021 for possessing indecent images of children, and a 24-month suspended sentence in 2024 for failing to comply with notification requirements.

The latest investigation revealed that Patterson created two fake profiles on a social media messaging platform, posing as both a male and a female teenager. In November 2024, he initiated a conversation with an individual he believed shared a sexual interest in Children, during which, he boasted about coercing children into sending indecent photos.

On 11 December 2024, NWROCU officers arrested Patterson at his address. He was found living in his car, where officers seized multiple electronic devices that had not been disclosed to his sex offender manager - resulting in a further arrest for breaching the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.  

Analysis of the seized devices uncovered evidence that Patterson had groomed and extorted children aged 11-16. In many cases, he blackmailed victims by threatening to share indecent images with their friends and family unless they sent more. 

Following a comprehensive investigation, the CPS authorised 41 charges including blackmail, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual communication with a child, causing a child to watch a sexual act, and making and distributing indecent images of children were authorised.

Patterson pled guilty to all charges at Liverpool Crown Court on 10 June 2025.  

Detective Sergeant Alastair Macmillan from the NWROCU said:

“This case highlights the relentless efforts of our officers to protect children from online predators. Patterson’s actions were calculated and cruel, and today’s sentencing reflects the seriousness of his crimes.

“This was a complex and deeply disturbing case. Patterson deliberately targeted vulnerable children and used fear and manipulation to exploit them. We hope this outcome brings some measure of justice to the victims and their families.

"The collaboration between the Metropolitan Police and the NWROCU was key to identifying Patterson’s online activity and bringing him to justice. We are committed to working across borders to protect children from danger, whether it occurs in person or online.

"If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, please come forward and report it to the police."