Paedophile who groomed girl online filmed abuse

Michael Costar, who contacted his victim on a social media platform when she was 13, travelled from Lancashire to Belfast to sexually abuse her

A paedophile who groomed a 13-year-old girl online before filming himself sexually abusing her has been jailed.

As a 39-year-old, Michael Costar, from Blackburn in Lancashire, first met the girl from Belfast on a social media platform in 2009 before travelling to Northern Ireland to meet her in a hotel.

The sexual abuse, which went on for three years, only emerged in March 2023 when Costar was arrested and found to be in possession of digital images of the girl.

Admitting 29 sexual offences at Belfast Crown Court, the now 52-year-old was sentenced to four years in prison followed by the same length of time on licence.

The court heard Costar, of Tenby Close, contacted the girl on the Tagged social network before grooming her.

The forklift truck driver then travelled to Belfast, where he sexually abused her at a hotel.

The prosecution said Costar made similar trips several more times and even turned up at the girl's school and called at her house.

Costar also took indecent images and videos of her, some of which depicted abuse.

In a statement to the court, the victim said: "As a young child I lied to my parents, my siblings and my friends because I felt I had to see [Michael Costar] and do what he wanted me to do.

"He made such a deal of how he travelled all the way from England to Northern Ireland to see me and he wouldn't accept 'no' for an answer.

"This has impacted on my whole life since then."

She said her education had suffered because Costar knew where she went to school.

"I couldn't avoid him when he decided to meet me after school and I missed study time because he took me away."

'Cynical manipulation'

While the abuse ended when she turned 16, the court was told Costar tried to contact her on another online forum.

When he arrested by police in 2023 he admitted showing images of the girl to friends.

Judge Patrick Lynch KC revealed that Costar had told a probation officer he was sexually attracted to young girls.

The judge said Costar's crimes were aggravated by the level of his "planning and pre-meditation", "the cynical manipulation of a young child" and the fact Costar recorded the abuse.

When released from prison, Costar will be the subject of a seven-year sexual offences prevention order.

He has also been placed on the sexual offenders' register indefinitely.