“It was clear from the evidence that he was intent on harming and abusing children and was willing to pay significant sums of money to do it”
Edward Gratwick (68) was stopped from getting on the plane to Bucharest on March 7 as part of a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation.
Officers intervened after they received intelligence that a UK national who had been communicating with another individual online, was about to leave the country.
The pair, who had been arranging to meet up to sexually abuse a nine-year old girl, had also been planning to drug her with GHB so she would not remember anything.
Having been identified, officers urgently deployed to arrest Gratwick while law enforcement officers identified the other individual and he too was arrested.
Edward Gratwick
News in 90 Seconds, Saturday October 11
Officers who searched Gratwick’s house following his arrest seized a number of electronic devices.
An analysis of thousands of messages on his phone revealed he was using encrypted applications to communicate online with offenders in the UK, across Europe and around the world.
Investigators also discovered he had been sharing extremely graphic sexual messages and indecent images of children.
Gratwick was actively discussing child sexual abuse with people who he believed had access to young girls aged between six and ten.
He would outline, in explicit detail, how he wanted to sexually abuse them and, in some instances, offered to pay varying sums of money as a fee.
Gratwick made frequent references to drugging his potential victims, suggesting rohypnol and GHB which he described in his messages as “a good rape drug.”
When officers searched his house, they found bottles stored in his kitchen fridge which were examined and found to be Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) which is a Class B drug.
Officers found images of these bottles – which he had sent to someone he was communicating with – saying “I’ll bring enough GHB so you can have some fun when I’m not there”.
In some conversations, Gratwick was clearly touting himself as a ‘pimp’, offering a service to other paedophiles.
As part of his role, he told other online users he would take a 25 per cent cut of the payment made for his part in the arrangement of the sexual abuse of young girls.
On March 9 Gratwick was charged with 11 child sexual abuse offences including 10 charges of arranging the commission of child sex offence – namely the rape of a child under 13 – and was remanded into custody.
He was subsequently charged with additional offences during his trial.
On October 10 Gratwick was found guilty of 38 charges including arranging or attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, distributing indecent images of children and possessing indecent images of children.
He is due to be sentenced on 28 November at Guildford Crown Court.
Danielle Pownall, Senior Investigating Officer at the NCA said the chat logs recovered from Edward Gratwick’s devices “are some of the worst seen by specialist child abuse investigators at the NCA”.
“Gratwick has continually denied the offences he faced, despite overwhelming and indisputable evidence, which shows his lack of remorse and disregard for the safety and welfare of children.
“I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the members of jury, who over the last six weeks have considered distressing evidence which no-one should ever have to hear. I echo the words of gratitude from Her Honour Judge Harden-Frost in light of what they have heard, culminating in guilty verdicts against Gratwick.
“Work continues with our international partners to identify those who Gratwick was engaging with and we will do everything in our power to safeguard any children from harm, wherever they are. We are grateful for the immediate response and support from UK and international partners during this investigation”.
Robbie Weber, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said the abuse Edward Gratwick described inflicting on young children with other like-minded individuals was “abhorrent”.
“It was clear from the evidence that he was intent on harming and abusing children and was willing to pay significant sums of money to do it. Not content with satisfying his own sexual desires, he also advised and encouraged others how they could commit equally horrific crimes.”