a man who posed as a 19-year-old boy, talking to Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien), then aged 14, through an internet chatroom. When Sarah starts to talk to strangers on the internet as a way of meeting new people, she talks to a boy called Gary who claims to be 19 years old. Gary and Sarah quickly befriend each other after they share common interests and she becomes smitten by him. After Gary requests Sarah to call him, she agrees to meet him for the first time. However, when Sarah goes to his house, she is greeted by an older man in his early 30s who claims to be Gary's father which surprises her. The man later confesses to Sarah that he is actually Gary. He justifies to an angry and a disappointed Sarah as being a lonely man who has no close family and friends. Although she rejects him, Sarah empathises with Gary and opens up to him about being a teenage mother to her baby daughter Bethany which causes many problems at home including the separation of her mother Gail (Helen Worth) and adoptive father Martin Platt (Sean Wilson) due to Martin's recent infidelity. Gail and Martin learn about Sarah's arrangement and visits Gary. They both eventually leave after Gary lies to them that he has never seen Sarah whilst Sarah herself hides from them. Gary and Sarah continue their day and he tells her that she is the only girl he has only ever met from chatrooms as he is convinced that they have a special connection. Sarah begins to worry about Gary's behaviour and his intentions and calls her friend Candice Stowe (Nikki Sanderson) to collect her. However Gary locks her in his bedroom when Candice's boyfriend Todd Grimshaw (Bruno Langley) arrive; Candice and Todd then try to rescue her. A frightened Sarah realises she is in danger with Gary and tries to escape but he refuses to let her leave. Gary confronts Todd who enters into the house after Candice manages to break a back door window, but Todd injures himself on Gary's fireplace. Gail arrives with her neighbour Dennis Stringer (Charles Dale) after calling the police and they save Sarah. Dennis then punches Gary repeatedly and insults him. Gary is then taken into custody by the police but he presses charges against Dennis for assault. The police tell Gail that Gary has been charged with