Chris Wearing, a 42-year-old man from Accrington, Lancashire, was sentenced to 23 years in prison for the grooming, sexual assault, and rape of a 13-year-old girl.

Wearing's crimes took place in 2023. He initially groomed the victim on the social media platform Wink, posing as a 16-year-old boy named Chris Hay. The conversation then moved to Kik messenger, where Wearing turned the communication explicitly sexual and expressed disturbing desires. He invited his "friend" Chris 2 into the conversation, who was also in fact Wearing.

Wearing used the alias Chris Hay to ask the victim for her number so they could meet. He guided her through booking a train ticket from Wigan North Western Station to Preston and then onto Church and Oswaldtwistle Station. He met the girl at the station and took her to his home in Accrington, where he raped and sexually assaulted her.

The victim's mother tracked her daughter's phone to Wearing's address and called. This panicked Wearing, who threw the victim out of the house through the back door, instructing her to climb over a fence so her mother wouldn't find his location. Both Chris Hay and Chris 2 blocked the victim as soon as her mother picked her up.

Wearing was arrested and 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. He pleaded guilty to all charges. The judge deemed Wearing a dangerous offender and sentenced him to 15 years in prison with an additional eight years on extended license.