Carl Marland, the former landlord of The Chequers pub in Ilford, London, was sentenced to 21 years in prison yesterday after being found guilty of more than 20 serious child sex offences. The verdict was delivered following a trial at Manchester Crown Court in October 2021.
Marland targeted girls aged between 8 and 16, travelling frequently from London to Manchester between June and December 2020 to commit his crimes. He groomed the victims using gifts, cash, drugs, and alcohol before abusing them in his car and other locations. Disturbingly, he also secretly filmed one girl while she was undressing.
One victim had a bank account set up by Marland, who transferred nearly £3,000 into it. The list of offences Marland was convicted of includes:
- Rape of a child under 13 (three counts)
- Sexual assault of a child under 13 (five counts)
- Assault of a child by penetration
- Voyeurism (two counts)
- Making indecent images of a child (two counts)
- Causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity (three counts)
- Supplying class B drugs (three counts) and class C drugs
- Engaging in sexual communication with a child
- Causing a child to watch a sexual act
The police investigation began after a girl’s mother discovered inappropriate messages on her daughter’s phone in November 2020. Greater Manchester Police’s Rochdale Child Sexual Exploitation Team worked closely with the Metropolitan Police to arrest Marland in January 2021.
Marland now faces a lengthy prison sentence for his appalling crimes against children, bringing justice for the victims and their families.
Originally published by UKNIP.
