Blackpool polygraph used in paedophile case
A Blackpool polygraph test could have helped uncover a paedophile. A woman was left horrified after learning her new partner was a convicted paedophile only when the police came to her house to look for him.
The case
The mum from Blackpool said she felt like her dreams had come true when she met Lee Martin and started a relationship with him. But unknown to her, Martin, 32, was a convicted child sex offender who had served a five year prison sentence for a serious sexual assault on a child 10 years ago.
The terms
Following his release from prison he was subject to strict conditions. One restriction is he can’t have any unsupervised contact with children under 16, unless it was approved by social services and the parents were aware of his convictions.
In November last year, officers from Lancashire Police went to Martin’s home in Claremont Court, Blackpool, to check on him. Martin was not at the address and a neighbour informed them he was living with a woman at another location in Blackpool.
When the police attended that address, they found Martin in a parked car outside the premises, claiming he was sleeping rough. He later confessed he had been living with the woman and her children for a few weeks.
A new relationship
The woman told police she had been in a relationship with Martin and he sometimes stayed at her home. When his flat was badly damaged in a fire, she allowed him to move in – but she had no idea of his sordid past, she said.
“The day I met him I had no idea he was a sex offender. Martin came across as very loving and caring. He asked me personal questions about my children and their fathers,” she told the court.
“He asked me if I had family in Blackpool and had a problem with male friends including my child’s dad. I pushed people away because of him.”
Complete shock
The woman said the relationship moved quickly, with Martin asking her to marry him and have a baby. He also asked to take on a parental role to her children and would take them to school or to the shops to allow her time for herself.
“I felt like my dreams had come true as they needed a father figure in their life,” she said.
Rachel Woods, prosecuting, said there was nothing to suggest any physical harm had come to the children while they were in Martin’s care. However, he breached the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) by spending time with the young family.
Polygraph testing
Now that polygraph testing has become part of release terms for sex offenders and abusers, Martin could have avoided contact with the family. Police believe that the new terms of having regular polygraph tests deters offenders from repeating their crimes and stops their behaviour. This case is just another reminder of why lie detector tests are so key to keeping the community safe.
If you are concerned a child you know could be a victim of abuse then book a lie detector test online today. You can also call our free helpline on 07572 748364 to book, or to discuss further.
