ALAN FRIEND FROM BARTON-UPON-HUMBER CAUGHT TRYING TO MEET 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN MIDDLESBROUGH

In April 2021, a disturbing incident unfolded involving Alan Friend, a resident of Barton-upon-Humber, who traveled nearly 100 miles with the intent to meet a young girl he believed was only 13 years old. The incident took place in Middlesbrough, where Friend had arranged to meet the girl at a supermarket car park, specifically outside an Aldi store in the town centre.

Unbeknownst to Friend, he was under police surveillance. He had been communicating with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl through an online chat room, but in reality, law enforcement officers were monitoring his activities. During their investigation, it was revealed that Friend had been engaging in conversations that clearly indicated his intentions were inappropriate and predatory.

According to the prosecution, Jonathan Walker, during the court proceedings at Teesside Crown Court, detailed how Friend had urged the girl to keep their contact secret. He also offered to buy her a mobile phone, further demonstrating his manipulative approach. Walker explained that Friend had sent an image of a young girl with blonde hair enjoying an ice cream and expressed a desire to take her out for a day, revealing his intentions to pursue a physical relationship.

Friend explicitly stated that he wanted a “snog” and admitted that he had never kissed anyone her age before, making his predatory motives unmistakably clear from the outset. The court was told that Friend drove from Hull to Middlesbrough, arriving at the Aldi car park in July of the previous year, with the apparent plan to meet the girl. However, instead of the young girl, he was met by plainclothes police officers who had been waiting for him.

Upon being confronted, Friend reportedly exclaimed, “I knew it, I knew it,” and was seen banging his steering wheel repeatedly in frustration. During the hearing, he claimed that his purpose for being there was to meet the girl for a McDonald's meal, denying any intent of sexual activity.

It was also revealed that Friend had a prior conviction in 2016, when he received a suspended prison sentence for attempting to meet a child after engaging in sexual grooming. He was also subject to a sexual harm prevention order that was set to last until 2026. In that earlier incident, Friend had been communicating with a group of children whom he believed to be around 13 years old, and he was confronted by police at that time as well.

During the current proceedings, Friend, of Brigg Road, Barton-upon-Humber, pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming and breaching his sexual harm prevention order. Judge Jonathan Carroll addressed him directly, emphasizing that Friend was fully aware he was not supposed to be communicating with the girl and that he had instructed her to keep their contact secret. The judge pointed out that Friend had offered to buy her a phone and had told her she couldn’t tell her parents, highlighting his manipulative and devious behavior.

Judge Carroll explained that the legal system operates within strict guidelines, and that immediate custody was not deemed appropriate due to Friend’s current remand status, which limited his ability to complete a treatment program. Instead, the judge considered whether supervised intervention could better serve public safety. He stated, “You are clearly someone who needs that kind of intervention. You have admitted sexual interest in children. That will not simply dissipate or disappear, it needs to be confronted.”

As part of his sentence, Friend was given a 21-month prison term, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete 35 days of rehabilitation activities and participate in a sex offenders’ treatment program. Additionally, the court extended his sexual harm prevention order indefinitely, which was originally set to expire in 2026. Friend will also be subject to sex offender notification requirements for the next ten years, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities to protect the community from potential harm.