MARK NICHOLSON AND SHOCKING SCHOOLGIRL DRESS UP IN LANCASHIRE
A known sex offender identified as Mark Nicholson has been sentenced to prison once again following a series of concerning encounters in Lancashire.His latest misconduct involved dressing up in a manner that clearly mimicked a schoolgirl uniform and attempting to engage young girls in conversation on the streets of Burnley.
The incident took place outside Blessed Trinity School in Burnley, Lancashire, where Nicholson, aged 55, was observed sitting on Queen Victoria Road wearing a white shirt, a blazer, a skirt, and a white tie.
His choice of attire was disturbingly similar to the school uniforms worn by students of the nearby educational institution.
Witnesses, especially female pupils between the ages of 10 and 15, reported that Nicholson tried to initiate a conversation with them by asking, “Do you like my tie?” This unsettling behavior was brought to the attention of authorities by the school's safeguarding team.
Following reports, police officers responded and arrested Nicholson the day after the incident.
During the search of his residence, officers recovered the same school uniform that Nicholson had been seen wearing.
When questioned, Nicholson claimed that he wore the uniform for comfort and denied actively speaking to the girls.
Kathryn Johnson, prosecuting, described how the police had been contacted by Blessed Trinity's safeguarding lead after the schoolgirl witnesses provided their accounts.
In addition to this distressing episode, Lancashire police revealed that in May of the same year, Nicholson had contact with two teenage boys who were reported missing from a care facility in Blackburn.
The boys, who were runaway minors, were found at Nicholson’s home after they had made their way from Blackburn.
The children had reportedly met with Nicholson after traveling from the care home, with the boys requesting to visit his residence.
During their brief stay, they smoked cigarettes together and Nicholson provided them with a cup of cider.
The boys spent approximately an hour at his house before returning to Blackburn.
The police reports stated that a care worker had notified authorities about the missing children, who later explained their trip to Burnley and their interaction with Nicholson.
Their account corroborated that Nicholson took them inside his house, where he shared cigarettes and alcohol with them.
The children confirmed that no sexual activity occurred during their visit.
Lawyers defending Nicholson, represented by Anna Chestnutt, acknowledged that his recent behavior was inappropriate and assured the court that such actions would not be repeated.
Chestnutt also clarified that Nicholson encountered the boys on a bus and that it was the boys who approached him first.
She insisted that there was no sexual misconduct during the hour they spent at his residence.
Mark Nicholson’s criminal record is extensive, with 22 convictions encompassing 60 separate offences.
Notably, he had previously served an 18-month sentence in 2019 for child sex offences.
Most recently, he was sentenced to an additional 16 months after breaching two conditions of his sexual harm prevention order.
Judge Stephen Unsworth KC addressed the court, expressing deep concern over Nicholson’s actions.
He emphasized the serious implications of Nicholson’s behavior for children’s safety, stating, “This is a worrying picture that’s presented to the court and is extremely worrying for the parents and carers of these children.” The judge warned that any future misconduct would likely result in longer prison sentences.
As part of the sentence, Nicholson was legally prohibited from wearing any clothing associated with a girl’s school uniform.
Furthermore, he was ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely, underscoring the seriousness of his continued risk to the community.
