ADAM RICKHUSS FROM LEIGH AND PRESTON CAUGHT TRYING TO MEET 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL FOR SEX AT BLACKPOOL HOTEL
In a disturbing case that highlights the dangers of online grooming and predatory behavior, Adam Rickhuss, a 43-year-old man formerly residing in Leigh, was caught attempting to meet a 14-year-old girl for sexual activity in Blackpool.The incident unfolded on February 19, 2020, when Rickhuss, who was on day release from Ormskirk General Hospital, traveled from Preston railway station with the intent of meeting the young girl, known by the alias 'Emily'.
Unbeknownst to him, he was met at the station by paedophile hunters who had posed as the teenager to trap predators.
The vigilantes confronted Rickhuss, who was then promptly detained until police arrived.
The authorities took swift action, and Rickhuss was arrested on the spot.
Prosecutor Jeremy Lasker outlined the details of the case during a hearing at Preston Crown Court.
He explained that Rickhuss had engaged in online communication with the girl over a span of eight days in February 2020.
During this period, the girl confided in him about her troubled home life and her desire to run away, which Rickhuss encouraged.
He also suggested that she could earn significant money by posing as a model for him, claiming he was a tattoo artist and promising to look after her.
As their conversations progressed, Rickhuss made plans to take the girl to a hotel in Blackpool.
He even offered to buy her a secret mobile phone to keep their plans hidden from her mother.
The court heard that he inquired about her virginity and explicitly stated that she could, and should, lose it to him.
Despite the online profile clearly indicating the girl was only 14, Rickhuss dismissed her age, saying he was 'not bothered'.
He also complimented her appearance and asked for sexual photos, further demonstrating his predatory intent.
Throughout the eight days of communication, Rickhuss displayed increasingly sexual behavior and began referring to the girl as his girlfriend, even talking about falling in love.
During this period, he was an inpatient on a mental health ward but was granted leave on the day he intended to meet the girl.
Judge Philip Parry, who sentenced Rickhuss, described the case as extremely serious.
He pointed out that Rickhuss exhibited classic signs of grooming, such as flaunting wealth, using endearing terms, and flattering the girl.
The judge emphasized that Rickhuss's messages became more sexual in nature and that he was planning for full penetrative intercourse, indicating a calculated effort to groom a vulnerable minor.
Despite his mental health issues, which had led to multiple hospitalizations and previous convictions for causing death by careless driving, Rickhuss's actions in this case were deemed deliberate and malicious.
In his defense, it was noted that Rickhuss had been sectioned 33 times since his release from prison.
Nevertheless, he pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.
As a result, Judge Parry sentenced him to two years in prison and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to prevent further offenses and protect children from potential harm in the future.
