ADRIAN SIMCOCK FROM CLACTON SENTENCED AFTER CHILD SEX OFFENSES AND EXPLICIT IMAGES

In November 2018, a disturbing case involving a Clacton man named Adrian Simcock came to light, revealing serious allegations of child exploitation and possession of indecent images. The incident unfolded when Simcock, aged 33 and residing on Wellesley Road in Clacton, engaged in online conversations with a 14-year-old boy, using social media platforms to facilitate his illicit activities.

Simcock initially created a profile on the messaging app Grinder under the username 'Sundayfun'. The conversations then transitioned to the messaging service KIK, where he used the username 'Clacton123'. It was during these exchanges that police investigations uncovered the extent of his misconduct. The court was informed that Simcock had pleaded guilty to five separate charges, which included the creation and possession of indecent images of children across various categories, as well as attempting to engage in sexual communication with a minor.

The charges against Simcock were detailed as follows: Count one involved the making of four indecent images of children classified as Category A; count two involved five images in Category B; count three involved five images in Category C; count four related to the possession of a prohibited image; and count five concerned his attempt to communicate sexually with a child between June 12, 2017, and January 7, 2018. Prosecutor Carolyn Gardiner confirmed that the email address linked to Simcock’s KIK account was indeed his own, establishing his direct involvement in the offenses.

Police executed a search at Simcock’s residence on January 7, during which a Samsung mobile phone and a Samsung tablet were seized. These devices were subsequently analyzed by law enforcement officials. The investigation revealed conversations between Simcock and two undercover police officers, as well as multiple messages from children believed to be between 12 and 14 years old. The analysis indicated that Simcock was communicating with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old boy from Ipswich.

During the court proceedings, the messages exchanged between Simcock and the decoy were read aloud. In these messages, Simcock expressed concern about being reported, saying, “please don’t report me, I keep getting chucked off.” He also made inappropriate remarks, stating, “age is just a number,” and inquired about the boy’s penis size before sending an explicit image of his own private parts dressed in underwear. These actions demonstrated a clear intent to exploit and groom a minor.

Judge Jonathan Seely addressed Simcock’s actions, acknowledging his personal difficulties but emphasizing the gravity of his misconduct. The judge stated, “You have experienced a number of difficulties in your life but this is deeply deeply wrong.”

As a result, Simcock was sentenced to nine months in prison, but the sentence was suspended for two years. Additionally, he was placed under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid community service. The judge warned that any breach of the suspended sentence would result in immediate imprisonment, stating, “If you breach the two-year suspended sentence you will be brought back before this court and you will be sent to prison.”

Furthermore, Simcock was ordered to pay court costs amounting to £400 and a victim surcharge of £115, reflecting the court’s stance on holding offenders accountable for their actions and protecting vulnerable minors from exploitation.