Dangerous East Lancs sex offender given 23-year sentence

A man who groomed a 13-year-old girl before going onto sexually assault and rape her has been jailed.

Yesterday (21^st January) Chris Wearing was given a sentence totalling 23 years at Preston Crown Court.

In 2023, Wearing groomed the girl on the social media platform Wink, by pretending to be a 16-year-old boy called Chris Hay. Wearing is in fact 42 years old.

The conversation then moved onto the social media application Kik messenger where Wearing turned the communication sexual in nature. He also stated that he likes to see women get punched during intercourse.

Wearing then asked his victim if he could meet her and invited his ‘friend’ Chris 2 into the conversation. In fact, the second male was also Wearing.

Wearing – posing as Chris Hay – asked the victim for her number so she could meet up with Chris 2. This was so he could engage in sexual activity with her.

Telling the victim not to tell anyone, Wearing talked the victim through the process of booking a train ticket from Wigan North Western Station to Preston, and then onto Church and Oswaldtwistle Station.

Wearing met the girl at the station and took her to his Accrington home, where he raped and sexually assaulted her.

The victim’s mum tracked her daughter’s phone to Wearing’s address and rang it. The phone call panicked Wearing and he threw the victim out of the address via the back door, telling her to climb over a fence so that her mum didn’t find his address.

The victim was blocked by both ‘Chris Hay’ and ‘Chris 2’ as soon as her mum picked her up.

Wearing was arrested and subsequently charged with rape, sexual assault, sexual activity with a child, engaging in sexual communication with a child and meeting a girl under 16 years of age following grooming.

Wearing, now of no fixed address but formerly of Howard Close, Accrington, pleaded guilty to all offences.

Wearing was given 15 years immediate custody with a further eight years on extended licence after he was deemed to be a dangerous offender.

DC Emma Millward, of the East Child Protection Unit said: “Wearing is a deceitful and perverted individual with a sexual interest in children.

“Wearing not only groomed his victim, he also went to great lengths to facilitate his crimes and then cover them up.

“I welcome the sentence which reflects the seriousness of Wearing’s offending. I want to take this opportunity to praise the victim in this case who has shown great courage throughout this process.”