‘HORRENDOUS’ sexual offences against underage girls were committed by a manager who worked for University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust.
Paul Lipscombe has been jailed for more than 28 years.Paul Lipscombe, 51, was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court to 28 years and one month imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to 34 crimes – including rape and sexual assault – against six girls aged between 12 and 15 who he had groomed on social media app Snapchat.
He has also been place on the sex offenders register for life, and subjected to a restraining order preventing him from contacting the victims.
Detectives are still working to uncover the true extent of his offending after identifying six girls he had abused between September 2023 and April 2024.
Lipscombe, who worked as an associate director of NHS performance for UHCW, would gain the trust of his victims before arranging to meet them in private locations where he would commit acts of rape and sexual assault.
With the use of AI technology, Lipscombe – from from Rothley in Leicestershire – was also found to be creating and distributing indecent images of children.
In April 2024, concerns were raised in Lincolnshire in relation to a missing 15-year-old girl.
Police discovered the girl was at an address in Leicestershire with Lipscombe, and he was initially arrested on suspicion of kidnap – but she later told police she had been raped.
Detectives at Leicestershire Police’s dedicated Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU) discovered other offences against the girl had occurred, and Lipscombe had also been in contact with other girls on Snapchat, lying about his name and age.
Lipscombe sent pictures of himself in a hoodie on Snapchat to appear younger than he was.Five more girls from across the country were identified and spoken to, and evidence on Lipscombe’s devices showed he had been engaging in sexual activity with them.
Five of the six girls had met with him and been raped or sexually assaulted.
On his devices, officers found indecent images of children, many of which Lipscombe created using AI software.
He had also set up a website where others could buy illegal images of children, or pay him to create images.
The investigation into Lipscombe’s offending remains ongoing.
Det Cons Lauren Speight from the CAIU described Lipscombe’s crimes as ‘horrendous’.
She added: “Our investigation is continuing. We suspect he may have been in contact with other girls and could well have committed sexual offences against others.
“We would urge anyone who has been in contact with him to contact us. We are specially trained to speak to children who may have been victims of similar offences.
“I would also like to praise the girls and their families for supporting our investigation during what has been an extremely difficult and distressing 18 months. It is thanks to them that Lipscombe is now behind bars and unable to prey on children anymore.
“In cases like these we often see victims being given money, gifts or even drugs or alcohol in exchange for engaging in sexual activity. We also often see that victims are made to feel special and thrive on the attention they are given.
“It is crucial everyone is aware of the issue and knows the signs to look out for.”
Superintendent Helen Schofield said: “The extent of Lipscombe’s offending is truly shocking. This man has been grooming young girls online and after gaining their trust he has abused that trust in the most horrendous ways imaginable.
“The work carried out by the team to identify these six girls is outstanding, but it is because of the bravery and strength of the girls to talk to us about what he did that he now faces many years behind bars.
“We do suspect other girls may have also been in contact with him and we would urge them to come forward and speak to us. Our investigation into other possible offending remains ongoing and detectives in our specialised child exploitation team are here to listen and support anyone who may also have been groomed by this man.
“The threat children face online is extremely prevalent and we all have a part to play in keeping them safe. As parents many of us can say we know where our child is, who they are with and what they are doing when they aren’t with us and there is a perception that they are safe when they are at home.
“But this may not be the case. If your child has access to a phone or tablet and is active on social media or online gaming platforms then they are at risk of being targeted by people who want to cause them harm.
“Talking to your child about these dangers is so important and being able to spot the possible signs of online offences, such as grooming, is vital to help try to keep them safe.”
A UHCW spokesperson said: “We would like to praise the girls and their families, as well as Leicestershire Police, for their bravery and courage in bringing Paul Lipscombe to justice for his horrendous crimes.
“Following Lipscombe’s arrest in April 2024, we immediately suspended him before dismissing him from his administrative, non-patient facing role in June 2024.
“The Trust has and will continue to support Leicestershire Police with its investigations and has carried out its own internal review – nothing has been identified at this stage to indicate this individual’s criminal activity was committed as part of their role.”
Visit https://mipp.police.uk/operation/33EM19I75-PO1 or call Leicestershire Police on 101 to report information or possible offences committed by Lipscombe.
Visit www.leics.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/gr/grooming for more information on grooming and where to get help.
