Former cheerleading coach jailed for abusing three girls

A former cheerleading coach was jailed today after being found guilty of child sex offences, as well as possessing and distributing child abuse images.

Tom Walsh, of Shaw Lane, Prescot was sentenced to 15 years in jail with a further 5 years on license at Bolton Crown Court, after he being convicted of multiple counts of sexual abuse against three girls.

The 37-year-old also received a lifetime sexual harm prevention order as well as being registered as a sex offender for life.

He was found guilty of 28 charges relating to sexual offences against children between 2011 and 2020.

For a number of years Walsh was a cheerleader, assisting in the coaching of children, which is where he met two of the victims – the third he groomed online.

Greater Manchester Police

The sexual offences were committed in Manchester and Liverpool, but on top of this Walsh communicated with a number of other girls across the UK to obtain child abuse images from them.

The Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCU) launched an investigation into him, with covert officers communicating with Walsh online. He was subsequently arrested on August 20th 2020 on suspicion of possession and distribution of child abuse images.

Numerous indecent images of children were found on Walsh’s device, as well as messages between himself and a number of victims – he primarily used Snapchat to communicate with his victims.

Several victims were identified, including the three girls who were victims of child sexual abuse, with Walsh contacting one victim online when she was just 13-years-old.

Two further victims came into contact with Walsh through cheerleading, before being identified during the investigation.

gmpolice / Twitter

Detective Chief Inspector Suzanne Keenaghan, GMP’s Designated Force Coordinator for Child Protection in the Public Protection Division, said: “This jail sentence would not have been possible without the courage and strength of the victims and the tireless efforts of the entire investigation team.

“This was an incredibly difficult investigation, but I am pleased the defendant will now finally answer for his despicable actions. Walsh was placed in a position of authority and he professed to be a father figure and friend to his victims, but he was their abuser.

“He was manipulative predatory and exploitative and used typical grooming behaviour to befriend children who were going through difficult times and were vulnerable. He betrayed their trust and inflicted life-long trauma onto children for his own sexual gratification.

“For one victim, cheerleading was supposed to be a safe space but Walsh used it as his hunting ground. He has never shown remorse or recognition for what he has done.

“It’s entirely possible Walsh’s offending could have gone on unchecked and harmed more children were it not for the proactive work of the ROCU team who carried out a covert investigation and brought his despicable crimes to light.”

She continued: “I also want to commend our own officer Detective Constable Ceri Martin who went above and beyond what was required of her to identify and meet with the victims and spent months earning their trust and supporting them to report what had happened to police.

“It is in large part thanks to her efforts that the victims finally have justice today and I am so proud of her and the brilliant people like her that we have in this unit who are doing their utmost to protect children.

“I hope this case also reminds parents and young people of the dangers. Abusers can be people you know and trust and they can take advantage of that trust. I would therefore urge parents and teachers to speak to children and young people about the signs of abuse and spread awareness of how to stay safe online.

“Sexual abuse is never the fault of the victim and no one should feel the need to suffer in silence. It is never too late to tell someone and seek help.”