Blackpool man and former councillor William Walker avoids prison after admitting child sex offences

William Walker, 60, of Palatine Road, Blackpool, posed as a younger man and asked two girls to send him pictures in their school uniforms.

He asked one 14-year-old girl to be his girlfriend and discussed teaching her how to kiss. He also talked about having sex with her and taking her virginity while asking if they could meet.

But the former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) councillor, who is originally from County Down in Northern Ireland, had actually been messaging members of a so-called paedophile hunter group acting as decoys.

In April, he admitted two counts of attempted sexual communication with a child, but told the court he had no sexual interest in children and denied grooming the ‘girls’.

At Downpatrick Crown Court, which was sitting in Belfast, Judge Geoffrey Miller KC told Walker his claims had to ‘be viewed with scepticism’ and added that he believed the 60-year-old was motivated by ‘perverse sexual desires’ and had engaged in deliberate sexual grooming.

But the disgraced former councillor was spared prison. He was instead sentenced to 100 hours community service and three years' probation.

He was also made the subject of a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order and added to the Sex Offenders Register.

Walker, who now lives in Palatine Road, Blackpool, was warned that any further offending or a breach of the order would result in him being returned to court to face a potential prison sentence.

"I bet you look stunning in your school uniform"

The court heard Walker set up a fake Facebook profile in the name of Peter Patterson and contacted an adult ‘decoy’ posing as a 14-year-old girl called ‘Sammy Jo’.

On February 11, 2022 he sent her a friend request and exchanged messages. He asked her to be his girlfriend and told her: "I bet you look stunning in your school uniform.”

When police arrested him he claimed he believed ‘Sammy Jo’ had been over 18.

Around the same time, he contacted the second decoy, posing as a teenager called ‘Daisy May’. He also sent her a Facebook friend request and had similar conversations on Facebook and WhatsApp.

He admitted contacting ‘Daisy May’ but said he had could not remember exactly what had happened and that he had been drinking heavily around the time the conversations took place.

Walker claimed he had no intention of meeting either of the girls.

The 60-year-old served as a DUP councillor for some years, most recently on Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. He also served as chairman of the former Down District Council.

He was suspended by the party after his arrest in March 2022 and later resigned.