top of page
Writer's pictureAdam Whittington

What you did involved the exploitation of vulnerable and impoverished individuals in the Philippines

Following his arrest, the brazen pervert was found 'liaising' with women online when his offender manager visited.



A paedophile from Wythenshawe sent more than £20,000 to women in the Philippines to set up Skype live streams of child abuse. Bernard Grace, 72, was found with thousands of chat messages, in which he gave people 'instructions'.


Following his arrest, the brazen pervert was found 'liaising' with women online when his offender manager visited. Grace sent images of himself and payments totalling almost £21,0000. He's now been jailed for eight years, having admitted his guilt.


Rosalind Scott-Bell, prosecuting the case at Manchester Crown Court, said National Crime Agency (NCA) cops searched Grace's house in October 2020. An Apple MacBook Air was examined.


It emerged 'unrelenting' Grace had offered to make payments to women to arrange the sexual abuse of children. In total, 23 chats were uncovered.


"These women were endeavouring to make ends meet, to better themselves and the lives of their children in relation to education," Ms Scott-Bell said.


"The defendant would engage in conversation with the younger members and extended members of the family, and would send images of his [genitals]."


In one chat, Grace told one woman, who had a five-year-old daughter, he would send money to her if she performed an indecent act. He sent an inappropriate picture to the woman and told her to show it to her child - and sent £15.



In another conversation, a woman asked if he would pay her rent. Grace said he wanted a picture of her nine-year-old daughter. He sent two payments totalling £35.


The court was told of another chat with over 1,000 messages between August and September 2019. He offered money to a woman in return for the woman's children to perform indecent acts.


Grace sent the cash via PayPal and an image of himself. The court heard he 'encouraged' the woman to set up a live steam of the abuse of the woman's daughter - and offered money in return for 'live shows'.


He sent that woman £173. Grace, the court heard, 'persisted' when women initially refused to carry out his sick wishes. He bombarded one woman with up to 5,000 messages, asking her to send inappropriate images of her child.

A number of indecent images of children were found on Grace's computer. NCA officials were granted access to his bank account as they built a case against him.


Grace was arrested, before he told officers he worked as a coach driver but stopped after suffering with kidney failure and a leg amputation.


When officers asked why he made his demands, he said: "Just to push it, you know what they are like in the Philippines. You know sex over there doesn't mean nothing to them, they have sex when they're 11."


Between 2015 and 2021, Grace sent more than £20,800.


When his offender manager visited in 2021 - following his arrest - he was sat using a computer and appeared to be 'liaising' with women in the Philippines.


Simon Blakeborough, defending, said his client had a number of health conditions. "There is a suggestion he will not survive after a period of incarceration," he added.


"He lives an isolated life away from friends and family."


Recorder Anthony Donohue said: "What you did involved the exploitation of vulnerable and impoverished individuals in the Philippines. It's staggering that over a period of time you sent £20,800 in payments for sexual services involving the exploitation and attempted exploitation of children."


Grace, of Stoneacre Road, Wythenshawe, was jailed for eight years. He pleaded guilty to charges of arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence; and making indecent photographs of a child.


He was made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting his use of the internet. He will be on the Sex Offender Register for life.


Following the hearing, NCA operations manager Graham Clare said: "Bernard Grace was an unrelenting offender, whose actions led to several children being abused in the most horrific and depraved manner for his own sexual gratification.


"He may have thought he'd avoid detection by arranging for abuse to take place against vulnerable children on the other side of the globe, but the NCA has the capabilities to investigate online and internationally.


"We work with overseas partners to tackle the abhorrent abuse of children, and actively target offenders who pay for it to be live streamed. There is no bigger priority for us than protecting children, wherever they may be."










Comments


bottom of page