Convicted paedophile jailed after befriending boy

Dominic Cantley had previously been convicted of attempting to incite a boy under 16 to engage in sexual activity and also been banned by a court from having any contact with children under 16 without their parents consent.

Cantley, a former care worker for the disabled and elderly, 27, of Breck Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

He was sentenced to 22 weeks jail and ordered to pay £115 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Presiding magistrate, Cliff Boynton, told him: “This offence is so serious only custody is appropriate.”

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said Cantley was made the subject of a five-year SHPO at Preston Crown Court in March last year which banned him from contact with children under 16 unless he had the parents consent.

The court had previously heard he was a junior football coach, although this was subsequently denied by the clubs who said he attended as a spectator.

This year, the mother of a 13-year-old boy discovered Cantley had made friends with her son.

Cantley said he would pay the boy £30 to deliver leaflets and on April 29 this year he gave the boy money to do the delivery work.

The boy’s mum noted that on phone and social media messages to her son Cantley sometimes changed his name. After being told by a relative that Cantley was a convicted paedophile she alerted police.

Cantley had breached the SHPO previously by having contact with a child under 13 last year.

Leisa Splaine, defending, said: “He is sorry and accepts he made a mistake.

“He would say he did not mean any harm by his actions.

“He has autism and has been told he has a functioning age of someone about 13-years-old.”

Cantley was described as suffering from anxiety and depression who had self-harmed at times.

Recently he had found things difficult as his father was ill and he was trying to support him.