Christopher Oates, 45, of Tannock Road, Stockport, was recently sentenced to 13 years in prison at Manchester Crown Court (Wednesday, 25 June 2025) for a series of historic child sexual exploitation offences committed in the early 2000s.

Sexual offences are among the longest in duration from the date of reporting to the date of conviction in the UK courts.

From the date of the abuse to conviction and beyond, survivors of sexual abuse and grooming deal with the effects of that abuse on a daily basis. This is often whilst their abusers go unpunished for a number of years, sometimes decades.

  • Throughout 2023 and 2024, 7,062 offences of Sexual Communication with a Child were recorded by the police in the UK.

  • Fewer than 3 in 100 rape cases recorded by police in 2024 resulted in charges that same year.

  • Rape Crisis in England and Wales report that there are currently 11,918 sexual offence cases waiting to go to court, including 1,646 cases of child rape.

The effect of the reality of these statistics on survivors is profound.

Oates groomed and manipulated two vulnerable teenage girls, coercing them into sex work through a systematic environment of violence, control, and abuse. His crimes, which spanned over two decades, were brought to light through the courage and resilience of the survivors.

Oates began grooming one of the victims, Client M, when she was just 14 years old, posing as her boyfriend and showering her with compliments, gifts, and drugs. He used the falsified relationship to gain her trust and forced her into being exploited in the Manchester area.

She sadly suffered repeated incidents of rape and abuse.

When Client M attempted to leave, Oates subjected her to a violent assault and threatened her with a firearm. Client M felt compelled to seek help and report what had been happening to her, despite having already attempted to report the abuse to professionals over a prolonged period of time.

In a powerful victim impact statement read in Court, she described the psychological manipulation and long-term trauma she endured:

“You groomed me, you put a gun to my head, and not only did you abuse me, but you let other men too. Even now I struggle to trust my own judgement, 20 years later.”

Both victims recalled being taken to designated locations in central Manchester where they were exploited, often under the influence of drugs and alcohol supplied by Oates.

Operation Green Jacket

This case is part of Operation Green Jacket, a major investigation into non-recent child sexual abuse in Manchester. Since its launch in 2019, the operation has led to 73 arrests and over 1,300 interviews.

Unfortunately, a picture of abuse, neglect and exploitation of young girls in Britain is one that has left its mark on the country over a number of decades.

The operation was sparked by the failings identified in Operation Augusta, a previous police initiative into grooming and abuse in the Manchester area, which was shut down in 2005 due to a lack of resources, despite identifying 97 suspects and 57 victims.

Investigation and Arrest of Oates

The initial investigation into Oates began in 2012 following a drug-related arrest.  Despite Oates previously fleeing the country to Thailand, digital evidence recovered from his devices revealed 130 indecent images of children. Client M campaigned to have Oates extradited to the UK to face multiple sexual abuse charges.

Further enquiries eventually traced Oates back to the UK. He was arrested in November 2023 in Stockport. Additional evidence in the case included indecent images and sexual communications with a child.

In April 2024, Oates pleaded guilty to multiple offences, including making and taking indecent images of children, attempting sexual communication with a child. He later admitted to further charges including sexual activity with minors and inciting child prostitution.

Senior Investigating Officer DI Eleanor Humphreys praised the bravery of the survivors on 25 June 2025: “Their resilience and determination were the driving force behind reaching [this] outcome… I hope this brings them a sense of closure after all these years.”

Unfortunately, the story of Client M reflects common ground for many survivors of abuse and grooming across the UK. Client M has since chosen to instruct Farleys to assist her in a civil action arising as a result of her experiences.

To speak to a specialist in abuse claims in confidence, please contact our dedicated abuse line on 0330 134 6430 or complete our online contact form and a member of the team will get in touch with you.