A woman from Ashton under Lyne and a man from South Wales have been jailed for a combined 16 years and 9 months in prison for their roles in the sexual abuse of a child
Naomi O’Brien aged 31 of Ashton-under-Lyne, received a total of 4 years and 3 months in prison, with a 4 years and 4 months Sexual Harm Prevention Order and Sex Offender Notification Requirements for life.
Jonathan Walker aged 33 of Pontsticill, Merthyr Tydfil, was found guilty of sexually abusing a 4-year-old boy, along with engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and possession of indecent images. He was sentenced to 12-and-a-half years in prison.
During the investigation, chat was also discovered between Walker and O’Brien, indicating a sexual interest in children.
O’Brien incited Walker to sexually abuse the victim on multiple occasions in March 2023.
Following a complex investigation, and in conjunction with South Wales Police, Walker was arrested for multiple offences.
O’Brien pleaded guilty to three counts of intentionally encouraging and assisting another to commit a sexual assault against a child, two counts of intentionally encouraging and assisting another to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child. She was sentenced on Monday 20 November 2023.
DI Marsden, of GMP’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “Firstly, our thoughts remain with the victim and their family having gone through such a terrible ordeal.
“Following a tenacious and lengthy investigation of 1,865 messages, our dedicated team was able to prove that the female suspects’ chats were not simply a case of role play or fantasy – she had knowledge that the male had an interest in sexually abusing a young boy on the direction of her.
“This is a significant result for what is a very vulnerable and innocent 4-year-old child who was subjected to multiple counts of abuse, but also for all other children in the community who could have been subject to similar offending by a predatory female who was inciting others to commit acts of sexual harm against the most vulnerable in society.
“I hope the sentence sends a strong message to the public that we will pursue all available lines of enquiry to ensure we can bring justice to victims of serious sexual assaults.”
