Text pervert banned from child contact

Graham Turner: whose behaviour was described by a judge as calculated and devious

He should have been jailed, says victim
A TEXT pervert who said he was a GP and asked to examine young children has narrowly avoided jail.

Graham Turner (31) sent 4,000 texts to his victims — including an Oldham mum — who were selling child products on Loot and eBay.

He also made 80 hours of calls to NHS Direct, pretending to have young children with various genital conditions and asking how to treat them.

Oldham magistrates yesterday banned him from making any contact with children under 16 for five years after pleading guilty to 11 harassment charges and one malicious telecommunications offence.

After asking about items for sale he would then bombard his victims with sex texts, often pretending to be a woman and a GP.

He even offered to visit the children to carry out inspections for diseases such as testicular cancer, which would require them to take off their clothes.

Turner, who has no children and lives with his mum in Wallasey, Merseyside, sent daily texts to the Oldham mum making obscene remarks about her two-year-old daughter’s underwear in June this year.

Julie Spaven, prosecuting, told the court that the families were subject to torment and anguish, knowing Turner had their addresses and thinking he may be watching.

He even correctly stated details about the victims’ homes, fuelling their paranoia.

Although he denied visiting their houses, District Judge James Prowse said he was “very doubtful” he was being honest.

Judge Prowse said he would be justified in handing down a custodial sentence but that the five-year Sexual Offence Prevention Order (SOPO) would be more of a safeguard to the public than the maximum prison stay he could impose — four months.

He described Turner’s behaviour as “calculated and devious” and said the situation would be every parent’s worst nightmare.

He added: “A gullible parent who fell for it could have allowed a genital examination of their child thinking that he was a GP. This was aimed at getting into stranger’s homes. This is a man who from society’s point of view needs sorting out.”

A three-year supervision was imposed which will require Turner to attend a sex-offender’s programme in Northumbria.

Turner had said he was confused about his sexuality and had thoughts about children, but that he had referred himself to his GP with the aim of changing. He would also pleasure himself while texting.

The Oldham mum, who temporarily moved out of her home in fear, said after the hearing: “I am gutted that he hasn’t been sent to prison and getting the help in there rather than in the community.

“But I need to move on and put this behind me in the best way I can.

“When you’re advertising a child’s product on the Internet they will be 99 per cent sure you have a child.

“This has been a warning to me and hopefully others to be careful.”