A man who abducted and sexually assaulted a young boy as he played on a street has been jailed.
James Blackie was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison at Burnley Crown Court today and he will serve at least five years before he is eligible to apply for parole.
Blackie, 31, of no fixed abode, was previously jailed for 20 months in 2010, along with his twin brother Patrick, for making indecent images of children.
Patrick Blackie, then 23 and who is formerly of Great Harwood, remains in prison.
James Blackie was arrested at that time after police were tipped off that a computer was being misused at a home in Great Harwood.
He was further convicted in November 2013 with offences of failing to comply with the requirements of the Sex Offenders’ Register and breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order.
James Blackie was arrested in September 2015 on suspicion of sending letters to other prisoners while in prison outlining his sexual fantasies about the graphic abuse of very young children.
A police investigation was launched resulting in more than 60 children being traced and spoken with to ensure their safeguarding and James Blackie was charged in September 2015 with child abduction from a Burnley street, sexual activity with a child under 13 and breach of Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SOPO).
Detective Chief Inspector Claire McEnery, head of Lancashire Constabulary’s Dangerous and Sexual Offenders’ Unit, said: “It is apparent from Blackie’s letters that his fantasies related to the abuse of real children he had met. He articulated a clear motivation and depraved desire to abuse children. By writing down his sick fantasies enabled us to keep him off the streets and from there to carry out a thorough investigation which identified and safeguarded numerous children who could have been future victims of this vile individual.
“He is clearly an extremely dangerous man who has shown an escalation in his offending from images to writings to contact offences and child abduction.
“I would like pay tribute to the bravery of this young victim identified through our enquiry which enabled us to ensure that this very dangerous man stays in prison for a long time.”
James Blackie admitted
abducting a child on a day between January 2012 and January 2013, and sexually assaulting the boy on that day at the latest hearing.
He also admitted to breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, by being in the company of a child.
He was also given a five-year extended licence under the dangerousness provisions and an indefinite SOPO.
