Dangerous sex offender Patrick Livingtone, of North Shields, subjected the schoolboy to a terrifying ordeal
A predator wore a Christmas jumper to make himself look “endearing” before carrying out a terrifying public toilet sex attack on a schoolboy.
Patrick Livingstone, who is subject to a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order, sported the festive garment to make him appear “harmless” as he lurked around the lavatories in Newcastle in November 2020. When a teenager went in and used a urinal, he was targeted by the 54-year-old serial sex offender, ordered into a cubicle and subjected to a terrifying ordeal.
Prosecutor Andrew Espley told Newcastle Crown Court the youth “froze” and felt “powerless” during the attack. The victim said in a statement: “When it happened I was in total shock and panic. I was terrified the male was going to go further.”
The boy said he felt “paranoid, scared and sick” afterwards. Mr Espley said charity shop worker Livingstone deliberately wore the Christmas jumper “in an attempt to make himself look endearing and no threat and harmless when in reality he’s anything but.”
Livingstone has convictions for sex offences in the 1990s and was jailed for attempted grooming and trying to incite sexual activity with two different underage boys in 2017. At the time of the toilet attack he was on bail for a child sex attack carried out on a boy over 30 years ago.
After staying silent for more than three decades about what Livingstone did to him, the brave victim spoke out when he saw a newspaper article about the 2017 offences. Mr Espley said: “He never told anyone until he reported it because he saw an article about Mr Livingstone being convicted for sexual offences.”
The victim branded Livingstone a “monster” and said the attack on him had a “huge impact” on his life. He said: “Nothing will take away how I feel about this and it doesn’t get any easier to deal with.
“I waited almost 30 years to tell the police what had he did to me, living in fear and shame. The newspaper article made me get in touch with the police about what he did. It was an article about how he had been sent to prison.
“That shows to me he will never change, he’s a danger to children. Him being left to be free puts children at risk. I will never be free of what he did to me.”
Livingstone, of St. John’s Green, Percy Main, North Shields, admitted indecent assault in relation to the historic offence as well as sexual assault and engaging in sexual activity without consent in relation to the toilet attack. He also admitted three charges of breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order in relation to conversations with and messages sent to children.
Judge Robert Adams sentenced Livingstone to four years and eight months behind bars with a five year extended licence. The court heard probation officials assessed Livingstone as a “significant risk of causing serious harm to members of the public, particularly teenagers or adolescents, especially boys.”
Judge Adams agreed with the conclusion and said: “He is dangerous.” The judge told Livingstone: “You are a significant risk of serious harm to members of the public, particularly children and adolescent boys.”
The court heard Livingstone has learning difficulties and is “lonely and isolated” but now has a partner. Helen Towers, defending, said Livingstone is “capable of rehabilitation”.
👇STORY FROM 2017👇
Bus station pervert who propositioned boy after targeting another lad on Facebook is jailed
Patrick Livingstone is now banned from the Sunderland bus concourse unless he can prove he plans to travel that day
Bus station pervert Patrick Livingstone propositioned a schoolboy while on bail for trying to meet an underage lad he had befriended on Facebook.
The 49-year-old was lurking around the concourse on a Sunday morning and approached the 15-year-old as he waited for friends, despite having the other case hanging over him.
After he had asked the teenager to engage in sexual activity, a police officer noticed the boy looking extremely uncomfortable and intervened.
A court heard Livingstone had already tried to meet a 14-year-old boy he befriended online after sending him a series of messages.
Now he has been jailed for 20 months and was banned from the bus station unless he has a valid ticket to prove he plans to travel on the day in question.
Judge Stephen Earl told him: “You are prohibited from entering the concourse of Sunderland bus station other than for the specific purpose of bus travel and when you are in lawful possession of a ticket or pass, valid for the day in question and your intended journey.”
Livingstone pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity in relation to his approach at the bus station.
The court heard the other victim reported his online behaviour and Livingstone initially claimed it had been a “joke” but he later pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.
As well as the prison sentence, Livingstone, of Corporation Road, Sunderland, must sign the sex offenders register for ten years and was given a lifelong sexual harm prevention order.
Mark Styles, defending, said Livingstone is a “lonely and isolated” man who has mental health difficulties and has struggled after the death of his mother.
Mr Styles added: “He understands he has to keep away from any sort of contact with boys.
“It is doing no good at all handing around in public places. Lurking about in Sunderland bus station on a Sunday morning is not something which has been carefully thought through.
“He has acted on impulse on both occasions.”
Mr Styles said Livingstone has been “bullied” by other prisoners while in custody on remand.
