A 15-year-old girl played a crucial role in the arrest of Paul Sharpe, 56, a convicted murderer who kidnapped and sexually assaulted her. Sharpe was sentenced to a second life term by a judge who called him "every parent's worst nightmare." The incident took place on 18 May in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, when Sharpe grabbed the teenager in a chokehold and forced her into his car. She was held hostage inside the vehicle for eight and a half hours before police rescued her the following day. Sharpe, from Portswood in Stockport, had previously been jailed for life in 2001 for the murder of a former partner, whom he strangled in October 2000. He was released on licence in April 2013 after serving a minimum term of 11 years. In the months leading up to the abduction, Sharpe recorded himself driving and scouting areas, including a video where a male voice said, "the abduction point would be here," while he searched for locations near secondary schools. During the abduction, Sharpe bound the teenager’s wrists and ankles with neck ties and took her to secluded car parks. He removed her socks, touched and smelled her feet, and then dressed her in new high heels and stockings. He also masturbated while touching her feet and tried to force her to drink a "yellowy liquid," which she sometimes pretended to consume. The teenager feared she would be raped and murdered, so she deliberately left behind her DNA in the car to help police in a potential investigation. She placed her nasal mucus on various parts of the car and left strands of her hair. Police were alerted after a dog walker reported hearing a young girl crying in a church car park in Knutsford and an older man saying, "take a drink." By the time officers arrived, the vehicle had already left, but it was later found in a hotel car park in Knutsford. The teenager emerged "visibly shaken" and "shocked," and Sharpe was arrested. He initially claimed the kidnapping was unplanned and said he was "overwhelmed" due to personal issues, including a lack of electricity at home, a potential driving ban, and job loss. He also claimed he wanted to talk to a stranger before killing himself. Sharpe pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence and sexual assault. Judge Mark Savill called the case facts "chilling" and praised the victim's courage in leaving DNA evidence. He noted that Sharpe had planned to target a child to satisfy his sexual fantasies and emphasized the teenager's bravery. The judge ordered Sharpe to serve a minimum of eight years before he could be considered for release by the Parole Board. In her victim personal statement, the teenager described suffering from panic, anxiety, sleeplessness, and nightmares after "the worst eight hours of my life." Sharpe's foot fetish was evident from his mobile phone, which contained recordings of women's legs and internet searches for "schoolgirl feet." He also viewed pornographic material with search terms like "sleepy teen in white socks" and "full control of teen bodies in white socks." His phone also had message threads on the Telegram app, one of which related to an "abduction" broadcast channel. Following the sentencing, Hannah Gee of the Crown Prosecution Service said the victim and her family had endured a harrowing experience and hoped that with Sharpe back in prison, they could begin to move forward. Det Insp Karl Perry of Greater Manchester Police praised the victim's courage throughout the investigation and court proceedings, noting that her bravery likely made it harder for Sharpe to carry out his planned acts.