Groomer met Bolton girl online before horrific abuse

Stephen Lee Hallmark, now 28, was 27 when he met the then 13-year-old girl in Bolton, first through Facebook in late 2025 and then via Snapchat.

Bolton Crown Court heard how, despite knowing her age, he went on to sexually abuse the girl, leaving her with lasting trauma.

In a victim impact statement read in court, the girl said: “Since what happened to me, I feel like my life has been destroyed.

“I don’t think I will ever fully heal from what happened.

“I’m constantly questioning myself and being tormented by flashbacks. I struggle to do anything now without it constantly being on my mind.

“I don’t like leaving the house without my mum or dad.

“I hate looking at myself in the mirror or in the shower because it’s a reminder that he’s touched my body, and I also struggle with nightmares and sleeping because I just can’t stop thinking and replaying everything.

“One of the hardest things for me has been grieving the person I thought Ste was.”

The case was heard at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Phil Taylor)

Hallmark groomed the girl online over several weeks, falsely claiming to be just 20 while he was actually 27 and persuading her to tell her family he was only 15.

When asked in a police interview why he lied about his age, Hallmark said: “I didn’t want her to think I was an old b*****d.”

Despite knowing the child’s age, Hallmark arranged to meet her in person.

The sexual abuse began when they first met at the girl’s home , and continued during three further meetings.

Stephen Hallmark has been jailed (Image: GMP)

Hallmark was arrested and interviewed on February 21, 2026.

During the investigation, Hallmark tried to discourage the girl from speaking to police, telling her to “go no comment” and threatening to kill himself if she disclosed what had happened.

In her victim impact statement, the girl said: “Having to realise that it was wrong and that it wasn’t love, just lies, makes me feel weak and gullible for believing him.

“Even though I know it, I still question whether he ever loved me.

“He made me believe that I was the only person who genuinely cared about him, and he would tell me about how bad his life had been and how I made it better and meant everything to him.

“This made me not want to say anything because I felt like it would make his life worse again and like I would be hurting him by getting him into trouble.”

She added: “He has taken something away from me that I can never get back.

“I opened up to him and was vulnerable with him because I genuinely thought he loved and cared about me.

“I still struggle with the fact that I believed his lies, and it’s made me question people and even myself.

“Even when the case is over, what happened to me will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Brought before the court, Hallmark, of Allington Street, Liverpool, confessed to meeting a girl under 16 following grooming.

He also admitted to four counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child aged 13 to 15.

This week, the Honorary Recorder for Bolton, Judge Nicholas Clarke KC, jailed Hallmark for six years and handed him a 15-year sexual harm prevention order with a 15-year restraining order.

Hallmark will also be on the sex offenders register for life.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Alex Dibden, of Bolton’s Child Protection Investigation Unit, said: “I want to thank the survivor for bravely coming forward and supporting our investigation.

“She has shown immense courage throughout the investigation and court proceedings.

“Stephen Hallmark exploited a child for his own sexual gratification after deliberately establishing contact with her online and arranging a series of meetings, despite knowing she was only 13 years old.

“Even after his offending came to light, he attempted to manipulate the teenager and discourage her from speaking to police.

“Thanks to the survivor’s courage and the evidence gathered during our investigation, Hallmark has now been held accountable for his actions.

“This case should serve as a reminder to parents and carers to have regular conversations with young people about their online activity.

“Offenders can use social media and messaging platforms to build trust, manipulate children and arrange contact in the real world.

“If you have concerns about a child’s online activity or believe they may be at risk of exploitation, please report it to police.”