Sex offender travelled 150 miles to rape girl

Wayne Phillipson contacted the 12 year-old on Snapchat

A convicted sex offender who travelled from England to Scotland to rape a young girl has been given a life sentence.

Wayne Phillipson, 48, contacted the 12 year-old on Snapchat and later met her in a park in West Lothian, having travelled 150 miles from Consett, in County Durham.

The vulnerable child was left so traumatised she has yet to return to school more than three years after what police called a "horrendous ordeal".

At the High Court in Glasgow Lord Mulholland imposed an Order for Lifelong Restriction and told Philipson he must serve a minimum of seven years behind bars.

The attacker - previously guilty of offences against children - was convicted of rape and communicating indecently with the girl in September 2021 following an earlier trial in Livingston.

The judge told Philipson: "You groomed, manipulated and exploited her by false pretences about yourself which culminated in sending her obscene messages.

"This escalated her into your web of deceit. You travelled from Durham to West Lothian where you waited on her in a local park."

"You have shown no remorse whatsoever - it is clear to me that you are a danger to young girls."

The judge said a phone call between the pair played at the trial was "degrading and humiliating" towards the victim.

Lord Mulholland: "I am satisfied that an Order for Lifelong Restriction should be made in your case."

'Dangerous predator'

Det Insp Craig Higgins at the Child and Adult Protection Unit in Livingston described Philipson as a "dangerous sexual predator" who would now face "the consequences of his actions."

He added: "I commend the girl for her strength in reporting his offending and throughout the legal proceedings and hope that this can bring her and her family closure as they continue to move forward with their life."

Katrina Parkes, Scotland's procurator fiscal for high court sexual offending, added that she hoped the verdict would give "some comfort" to the victim and her family.

Phillipson - who admitted breaching bail after evidence was completed at the trial - was told it would be up to the parole board if he was ever released.

He was previously jailed in 2023 for eight and-a-half years in connection with a series of child sex offences.

Phillipson used Snapchat and an app called Wink to befriend 12 to 14-year-old children across the country and get them to send indecent images.

He was homeless and travelled across the country attempting to meet children, before ultimately being arrested in Wrexham in June 2022.

Upon arrest, his mobile phone was found to contain in excess of 100 indecent images and North Wales Police were able to evidence contact with 29 children across the UK.