Ross Paul Rodwell: Man admits sexual grooming charge in relation to 14-year-old schoolgirl
A man who told a 14-year-old girl he could not stop messaging her “until he finds the strength to stop or is convicted” has been ordered to sign the sex offenders register after he entered guilty pleas in court.
After Ross Paul Rodwell was led into the dock of Craigavon Crown Court on Friday (October 3), defence KC Eugene Grant asked for four of the five charges to be put to the 46-year-old again.
Rodwell, with an address in Hertfordshire but who is on remand in HMP Maghaberry, entered guilty pleas to an offence of meeting a child following sexual grooming, sexual communication with a child and two counts of making an indecent image of a child.
The charges disclose how Rodwell groomed the girl from April 29 last year before meeting her on October 19 while the indecent images charges relate specifically to August 6.
Although a further charge of possessing an indecent image of a child was not proceeded with, prosecuting counsel Nicola Auret told the court that was on the basis that Rodwell’s guilty pleas “are on on a full facts basis”.
The full details of the case have not yet been outlined but during an earlier appearance, the court heard the child Rodwell had groomed and met was 14 years of age.
The court also heard how Rodwell told the teenager he was “making plans” to create his own website so that they could continue to exchange messages with each other, advising her about a gaming app they could use to keep in contact.
The defendant had also told the teenage schoolgirl that “he cannot stop messaging her until he finds the strength to stop or is convicted”.
Following Rodwell’s dock confessions, Mr Grant asked for the defendant’s sentencing to be adjourned to allow time for the Probation Board to compile a pre-sentence report.
Judge Donna McColgan KC agreed, and remanding Rodwell back into custody, she ordered the pre-sentence report. She also ordered that, given the defendant guilty pleas, he must now sign the police sex offenders register.
Judge McColgan adjourned the plea and sentence to November 28.