Pervert Gary Cookson Jailed After Lying To Girlfriend About Child Abuse Past

A lying pervert who failed to disclose his history of child abuse images has been jailed after being left alone with a toddler. Gary Cookson, 27, manipulated his way into a family home and was even trusted to dry the two-and-a-half-year-old child and dress them, calling him "Dada". This placed him in breach of a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and the notification requirements of the sex offenders' register.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Cookson had previously been convicted in 2023 for possessing child abuse images. He failed to tell his new partner about this conviction, putting himself in a position of trust with her young child.

Cookson pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching a SHPO and four charges of failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders' register.

The court heard he failed to comply with his obligations between January 1, 2024, and February 12, 2024 when he started a new relationship. Further offences occurred on February 15, 2024, involving Cookson using banned apps. His phone was seized, revealing Snapchat activity. He also failed to inform authorities about staying with a 17-year-old for more than 12 hours and deleted a TikTok message.

Recorder Robert Smith sentenced Cookson to two-and-a-half years in prison, stating: "You knew full well what you were not allowed to do. Your primary sexual interest seems to be with female children. The risk of harm was extremely real and significant when you were drying off a naked two-and-a-half-year-old." He added that Cookson needed to learn to abide by the terms of his order or face further imprisonment.