A man who groomed a 12-year-old girl online before driving her to a car park and raping her has been jailed for nine years, with a further year to be served on extended licence.
The abuse began in January 2024, when the victim was first contacted on TikTok by 37-year-old Gary Sheilds. After complimenting the child, Sheilds persuaded her to exchange phone numbers, and the pair continued communicating across WhatsApp, Snapchat and regular video calls.
Although living in Scotland at the time, Sheilds arranged to meet the girl in Penwortham on 2 February 2024. After picking her up, he drove to a secluded car park where he raped and sexually assaulted her.
The offence came to light when the girl’s parent discovered the messages on her phone and reported it to police. Sheilds was arrested soon after. In interview, he admitted speaking with the child online but denied raping or sexually assaulting her. When asked whether he knew how old she was, he claimed he “couldn’t remember” but accepted that he knew she was young. He also acknowledged that she was wearing her school uniform when they met.
Throughout questioning, Sheilds attempted to blame his behaviour on drug addiction. Asked whether he was sexually attracted to children during this period, he replied: “Could be.” Officers later confirmed that at the time of the offence he was already on bail from Police Scotland with conditions prohibiting contact with anyone under 16.
A forensic examination of his devices uncovered indecent images and a video of the victim, as well as online searches that included the name of her school.
Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, Sheilds, of no fixed address, was charged with rape of a girl under 13 and causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. He pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court on 16 July 2025 and was sentenced on 3 November.
In her victim impact statement, the girl described feeling frightened and trapped during the encounter. “When I met him, I was shocked because he did not look the age he had told me, he looked older,” she said. “This worried me as I thought that he would not let me out of the car if I said anything, so I felt I had to go along with it.”
DS Jenny Cobham, from the Preston Child Protection team, condemned Sheilds as “a despicable, perverted individual” who deliberately targeted and exploited a vulnerable child.
“Despite her young age, the victim has shown incredible resilience throughout proceedings, and I can only commend her for her bravery,” she said. “I hope knowing that Sheilds is now serving a significant sentence will help her begin to move forward.”
She added that Lancashire Police remains committed to tackling child sexual abuse and urged victims to come forward: “If you, or someone you know, is a victim of any sexual offence, we will listen, we will investigate appropriately, and we will do all we can to get you justice.”