Ex Sunderland Empire boss Paul Ryan jailed over paedophile affair

Oct 14 2009 by Dan Warburton, The Journal

SEEDY internet messages helped snare the former manager of Sunderland Empire after he had a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old schoolboy.

Paul Ryan was yesterday jailed for two years after he pleaded guilty to a string of sexual offences with a teenager over a five-month period.

His 14-year-old victim had attended a Summer Camp in 2006 at the popular theatre on High Street West, in Sunderland city centre, where Ryan was general manager.

But it was a chance-meeting 12 months later in a Wearside nightclub that sparked their relationship.

In the months that followed, Ryan began sending the youngster seedy internet messages and in return he received six images of the naked schoolboy.

He invited the teenager, who is known only as NP, to come and have sex with other men.

But it was only when Ryan sent one of the photos to a friend where he bragged of his teenage boyfriend that detectives from Scotland began their investigations.

They were conducting a covert operation to smash a separate paedophile ring when they stumbled on the messages. Ryan’s computers were seized and his MSN chat message logs were analysed for the offensive data. At Newcastle Crown Court yesterday, Ryan was told he must serve two years in prison and will have to sign the sex offenders’ register. Sentencing him, Judge Tony Lancaster said: “In continuing the sexual relationship with this boy you ignored his obvious vulnerability.”