A man who was a personal trainer in a gym and who befriended the child by offering to train her and help her with her diet and nutrition has been jailed for grooming and sexually assaulting her
Matthew Lawrence told his gym manager who advised him to terminate her membership to which Lawrence replied, ‘Don’t ban her, in case she goes to the police.’
In past conversations, Lawrence had said he preferred dating younger girls as he liked their ‘innocence.’ He had also bragged to another member of the gym that he had been exchanging indecent images with the victim.
Staff at the gym were concerned by Lawrence’s behaviour and were fearful that he had groomed the female and thankfully they reported the matter to the police.
Lawrence was circulated as wanted, and he was arrested by GMP officers at London Airport on the 1st of September 2023. This swift arrest prevented him from starting a new job as a personal trainer on a cruise ship.
Detectives tracked down several witnesses who stated that they were in the presence of Lawrence when he learned that the victim was just 15 years old.
Further evidence was found on his mobile device to support this, including text messages between Lawrence and his associates which proved that he knew the victim was a child, and despite them warning him to stop communicating with her, he continued.
In August 2023, the victim bravely confided in her mother and told her that Lawrence had tried to kiss her, and physically forced her to commit sexual acts on him.
When interviewed by specially trained officers, the victim disclosed that Lawrence had taken her to the cinema, as a reward for training so hard in the gym, before sexually assaulting her in his locked car.
Phone analysis was conducted which showed that in the space of just a month, there were over 3000 calls and texts between Lawrence and the victim. Many of these were of a sexually explicit nature, and there was also evidence that Lawrence bought her several gifts over the period.
He pleaded guilty to sexual communication with a child, and two counts of sexual activity with a child. Today Matthew Lawrence aged 44 of Mount Drive, Trafford, appeared at Minshull Crown Court where he was sentenced to three years and nine months in jail.
He is also subject to an indefinite restraining order and sexual notification order, and a 10 year sexual harm prevention order.
