Sex offender found in hotel bedroom with two missing children

Colin Smith

A sex offender has been jailed after he was found in a hotel room with two missing girls.

Colin Smith was arrested in Bury after the teenagers 'made contact with someone they could trust', police said.

Smith, 59, from Darwen was charged with 11 offences against five victims including meeting a child following sexual grooming, making and distributing indecent images of children and sexual activity with a child.

He would give his victims with alcohol and pose as a teenager on social media, officers said.

After his arrest on 19 August 2020, police seized Smith's devices and found extreme pornography, indecent images of children and evidence of more grooming victims.

Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court Credit: MEN Media

At Minshull Street Crown Court on Tuesday 15 November, Smith, from Darwen, was jailed for 12 years after admitting the 11 charges.

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Partington said: "Firstly, I would like to publicly recognise the courage of the two young girls who were staying in the hotel room – they made contact with someone they could trust, which enabled us to safeguard them and, ultimately, secure this prosecution.

He added: "Smith’s behaviour towards the victims was nothing short of sickening – in some cases, he plied them with alcohol in order to commit abhorrent and depraved offences.

His prosecution and imprisonment should reassure our communities about our commitment to fighting this type of crime and keeping vulnerable people safe."

PC Carly Baines of GMP’s Sexual Crime Unit said: "Today’s sentencing is the result of a long, meticulous investigation by our complex safeguarding hub.

Smith’s behaviour is deplorable and completely unacceptable, and I hope this result sends a stark warning to offenders that these behaviours will not be tolerated by GMP.

She added:"I would like to thank the victims for their resilience and bravery in reporting this incident to the police and giving us the opportunity to put a dangerous and depraved man in prison, and I hope this sentencing will now allow the victims to be able to move forward with their lives."