A man has been jailed following 19 counts of child sexual offences.

36-year-old Terence Raymond Lewis, of Bolton Street, Blackpool, has been jailed for 9 years and 9 months with an extended 3 year licence period, following an investigation by Stockport's child protection unit.

Lewis was arrested in January 2024 when he checked into a hotel in Stockport with a young girl. The receptionist, who thought the check-in seemed suspicious, alerted the police. Officers arrived on the scene, arrested Lewis and put the child (a 14-year-old girl) in safeguarding measures.

Lewis had 'heinously' groomed the girl in an online chat room, police said. Lewis posed as a 14-year-old, using false pictures to conceal his true identity.

Stockport officers launched an investigation, which uncovered the 'true extent' of Lewis' offending.

Police reviewed tens of thousands of further text messages and images, after which Lewis was further charged with 16 additional offences.

At sentencing, Judge Bernadette Baxter said to Lewis: "I have no doubt you would have continued offending had you not been caught. The hotel staff should be commended for their actions."

Police Constable Kenneally from Stockport's Child Protection Investigation Unit, said: "Throughout our investigation Lewis has shown himself to be a narcissistic, callous predator. His sentence reflects the severity of his offences, and the significant trauma and abuse he subjected the victim to.

"I hope his sentence sends a clear message to other offenders that they will be caught and put before the courts, we hope that it encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us".

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Wrench from our Stockport district said: "We know that coming forward to the police isn't always easy, and we are working tirelessly to improve the trust and confidence that the public and victims and survivors have in us.

"I hope from this investigation, anyone who has been a victim of crime, or has experienced abuse or exploitation knows that whenever they are ready to come forward, we will support them.

"We have specialist officers across the force, and we work closely with several partner agencies, who will support you and ensure you get the help and care you need."

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