A “depraved” sex offender has been jailed after he was found in a hotel room with two teenage girls who had been reported missing.
Colin Smith, 59, was ambushed by officers and arrested at a Bury hotel in August 2020 after the missing girls made contact with someone they could trust.
Describing him as a “calculated individual”, police said Mr Smith would lure his victims into trusting him by posing as a teenager on social media.
He then “plied them with alcohol” to commit “abhorrent and depraved offences,” Greater Manchester Police said.
After his arrest, police seized a number of his devices and found more victims of grooming, evidence of possession and distribution of indecent images of children, and extreme pornography.
Mr Smith was charged with 11 offences against five victims, including offences of meeting a child following sexual grooming, making and distributing indecent images of children, and sexual activity with a child.
He pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 12 years in prison after appearing at Minshull Crown Court on Tuesday.
Detective Chief Inspector Ian Partington said: “Firstly, I would like to publicly recognise the courage of the two young girls who were staying in the hotel room – they made contact with someone they could trust, which enabled us to safeguard them and, ultimately, secure this prosecution.
“Smith’s behaviour towards the victims was nothing short of sickening – in some cases, he plied them with alcohol in order to commit abhorrent and depraved offences.
“His prosecution and imprisonment should reassure our communities about our commitment to fighting this type of crime and keeping vulnerable people safe.”
Constable Carly Baines of GMP’s Sexual Crime Unit said: “Today’s sentencing is the result of a long, meticulous investigation by our complex safeguarding hub.
“Smith’s behaviour is deplorable and completely unacceptable, and I hope this result sends a stark warning to offenders that these behaviours will not be tolerated by GMP.
“I would like to thank the victims for their resilience and bravery in reporting this incident to the police and giving us the opportunity to put a dangerous and depraved man in prison, and I hope this sentencing will now allow the victims to be able to move forward with their lives.”
