Locked up: Child abductor claimed his dad was Elon Musk's right-hand man and got boy to steal
A Telford man who abducted children as young as seven, made youngsters steal from shops and told kids he would take them to Alton Towers has been locked up.
Steven Gaskin, aged 20, claimed he was wealthy and that his dad was "Elon Musk's right-hand man" to lure children into spending time with him.
Shrewsbury Crown Court heard how he first befriended children, including two boys aged seven and eight, and took them to Telford town park, which was "a long way away from their homes". He kept them out until 8pm until police found them. That offence took place in April 2021.
Just three months later, in July, he lied about his wealth to two 12-year-olds and a pair of 14-year-olds, telling them he owned horses, would buy them phones and that his dad worked closely with Musk, the Tesla billionaire. He promised to buy them phones and to take them to Alton Towers. He met the children in the Manchester area and got on a train with them, but police stopped them in the early hours of the morning.
