A child rapist at the centre of an international paedophile ring has been told he may never be released by a judge who labelled him ‘every parent’s nightmare’.

Detectives were investigating a bogus claim made online by Gareth Hulme that he had raped a nine-year-old boy when they learnt he had gone on to attack another boy and groom a further one for sex.

It then emerged that as well as abusing children and downloading child porn, the 25-year-old security guard was inciting other men to do the same online.

A total of 25 men have been arrested by across the europe as a result of the investigation into Hulme’s online activities and conversations of MSN chat-logs. Two of the men are based in Ireland, with one in Spain and another in Luxembourg.

Who else has beeen locked up in June? Sentences and photo gallery

Hulme, of Gorton, admitted a string of child sex offences including two counts of child rape, meeting a child following grooming, and downloading images of youngsters as young as three.

Manchester Crown Court heard he was a manipulative predator who won the trust of his victims before ‘ambushing’ them in well-planned, pre-meditated attacks for which he had shown no remorse beyond his guilty pleas.

Sentencing Hulme to an indeterminate sentence for the public protection, Judge Anthony Gee QC told Hulme: “No right-thinking person hearing the facts of this case can feel anything but horror, disgust and revulsion for what you did. I regard this as an appalling case.”

Hulme must serve seven years, less time served, before the parole board can even consider his release.


He will not be released until the authorities are satisfied he no longer poses a danger to young boys, and Judge Gee warned the former gay village bouncer that he could spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Hulme twice subjected a young boy to sex attacks after luring him away from his parents at an event in Cheshire where he was working as a security guard last May. He also took a picture of the abuse on his mobile phone.

It later emerged that weeks before that attack, Hulme had groomed another boy he met on a site for gay youths.

Then, the following month, he attempted to arrange a child sex offence with a man he had met on MSN who claimed to have a young cousin they could abuse.

Hulme’s computer was later found to contain sick images of boys, some of which he had shared with other perverts.

On the social networking site MSN, Hulme spoke of his interest in ‘raping young lads’ and causing them pain.

Judge Gee said these views would ‘horrify every parent and represent every parent’s nightmare’.

He added: “I have no doubt whatsoever you are properly to be regarded as a dangerous offender. You are a sexual predator and a paedophile. I regard you as representing a real danger to young boys who you regard as your prey in order to satisfy your deviant urges.”

Hulme admitted two counts of child rape, one count of taking an indecent photograph of a child, seven counts of making an indecent photograph of a child, attempting to arrange a child sex offence and sexual activity with a child.

In a statement the parents of the boy who was lured away said: "There is not a day that goes by that we do not have to think about what happened. We do not know if our son will ever be the same again."
