A “deplorable” personal trainer who befriended and groomed a child, has been jailed.
Matthew Lawrence (42) of Mount Drive, Trafford, pleaded guilty to sexual communication with a child, and two counts of sexual activity with a child and received a sentence of three years, nine months in jail, when he appeared at Minshull Crown Court on Tuesday.
He is also subject to an indefinite restraining order and sexual notification order, and a 10 year sexual harm prevention order.
In August 2023, Greater Manchester Police received information that Lawrence was having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old child.
At the time, Lawrence was a personal trainer in a gym and had befriended the girl by offering to train her and help her with her diet and nutrition.
The manager of the gym was concerned that the victim was not over the age of 16, as per the gym’s membership requirements, and approached Lawrence advising him to terminate her membership to which Lawrence replied, ‘Don’t ban her, in case she goes to the police.’
In past conversations, Lawrence had said he preferred dating younger girls as he liked their ‘innocence.’ He had also bragged to another member of the gym that he had been exchanging indecent images with the victim.
Staff at the gym were concerned by Lawrence’s behaviour and were fearful that he had groomed the female, so reported him to the police.
Lawrence was circulated as wanted, and he was arrested by GMP officers at London Airport in September 2023. This swift arrest prevented him from starting a new job as a personal trainer on a cruise ship.
Detectives tracked down several witnesses who stated that they were in the presence of Lawrence when he learned that the victim was just 15 years old. Further evidence was found on his mobile device to support this, including text messages between Lawrence and his associates which proved that he knew the victim was a child, and despite them warning him to stop communicating with her, he continued.
In August 2023, the victim bravely confided in her mother and told her that Lawrence had tried to kiss her, and physically forced her to commit sexual acts on him.
When interviewed by specially trained officers, the victim disclosed that Lawrence had taken her to the cinema, as a reward for training so hard in the gym, before sexually assaulting her in his locked car.
Phone analysis was conducted which showed that in the space of just a month, there were more than 3000 calls and texts between Lawrence and the girl. Many of these were of a sexually explicit nature, and there was also evidence that Lawrence bought her several gifts over the period.
Detective constable Amy Brookes said: “Lawrence was warned by acquaintances on several occasions about talking to an underage girl, yet he continued to groom the young victim and sexually assault her. He lied throughout the interview process to try and minimise his actions, so we welcome this sentence today.
“His deplorable behaviour had a huge impact on the young victim, and she has shown such bravery in speaking to us. I hope that she feels some reassurance knowing this man is now behind bars, and our partner agencies will continue to support her moving forward, giving her the care and support she needs.
“We know that coming forward to the police isn’t always easy, and we are working tirelessly to improve the trust and confidence that the public and victims and survivors have in us. I hope from this investigation, anyone who has been a victim of crime, or has experienced abuse or exploitation knows that whenever they are ready to come forward, we will support them.”
