CHRISTOPHER PICKFORD FROM BALBY JAILED AGAIN AFTER DONCASTER PAEDOPHILE STING

In a case that has once again highlighted the dangers posed by convicted sex offenders, Christopher Pickford, a 33-year-old man residing in Balby, was sentenced to additional imprisonment following his attempt to engage in inappropriate sexual communication with a decoy child. This incident occurred just days after Pickford was released from a six-year prison term for previous child sex offences, raising serious concerns about his ongoing risk to the community.

Pickford, who served in the British Army for seven years before his criminal activities came to light, was released from Salisbury Crown Court on December 7 of the previous year. His release did not mark the end of his legal troubles, as he soon found himself back in court after his conduct was exposed during a sting operation conducted by the ‘paedophile hunter’ group known as Confronted and Caught.

The court was informed that on January 10 this year, Pickford initiated contact with what he believed was a 13-year-old girl through the Kik messaging application. Prosecutor Gurdial Singh explained that the account Pickford was communicating with was actually a decoy operated by members of the vigilante group, designed to catch individuals attempting to engage in illegal sexual activities with minors.

Mr. Singh detailed that the group’s strategy involved waiting for adults to make initial contact with their decoy profiles, which were clearly marked with the age of the supposed minor to warn potential offenders. Despite this warning, Pickford continued his communication, and the exchanges revealed disturbing content. He asked the decoy if she knew what role-play was and inquired whether she had ever touched herself, indicating a clear intent to groom a minor.

Further, the court heard that Pickford persisted in messaging the decoy account, providing instructions on how to masturbate and even falsely claimed to be younger than his actual age. His actions were caught on a live video stream posted to Facebook on the evening of February 2, when members of the Confronted and Caught group confronted him publicly in Doncaster about his inappropriate behaviour.

Following this incident, Pickford was immediately recalled to prison, as his license was set to expire in December 2021. His initial sentence, handed down in December 2015 at Salisbury Crown Court, was for offences including sexual activity with a child and meeting a child after grooming. During that hearing, he was also subjected to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, which remains in effect.

Pickford was charged with engaging in sexual communication with a child concerning his activity with the decoy account. He pleaded guilty to this charge at an earlier hearing, acknowledging his misconduct.

During a hearing held earlier today, Judge Graham Reeds QC sentenced Pickford to an additional 12 months in prison. The sentence is to run concurrently with his existing sentence, effectively extending his time behind bars. The judge emphasized the seriousness of Pickford’s actions, stating, “I sentence you on the basis of the contact you had with a person you believed to be 13-years-old, even though the person you were communicating with on the other side was an adult.”

Furthermore, Judge Reeds ordered that the sexual harm prevention order imposed on Pickford should continue indefinitely, underscoring the ongoing concern for public safety and the potential risk he poses to children and vulnerable individuals in the community of Balby and Doncaster.