PAEDOPHILE TRAVELLED 130 MILES TO MEET A 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL FOR SEX
A man with a criminal predatory history has received an eight-year prison sentence after traveling approximately 130 miles to Cambridgeshire in an attempt to meet a child for sexual activity.
Michael Bickerton, residing on Minshall Street in Stoke-on-Trent, attracted police attention after using an online platform to communicate with others, where he indicated on his profile a preference for children as young as eight years old.
Initially chatting via email, the 49-year-old exchanged phone numbers with someone he had contacted through the website, and planned to travel to St Neots with the intent of abusing a 10-year-old girl in August of the previous year (2017).
On August 26 shortly after noon, Bickerton arrived at the agreed location but was immediately detained by authorities.
Officers found explicit paraphernalia related to sexual activities inside his vehicle.
The following day, he was formally charged with organising or helping to carry out a child sex offence.
Bickerton denied the charges and faced trial in February, but after only two hours of jury deliberation, he was found guilty unanimously.
He appeared before Cambridge Crown Court, where he was sentenced to serve eight years behind bars.
Additionally, he was subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was registered on the sex offenders' register forever.
This is a probabilistic continent or country-group signal from public name datasets. It is not proof of nationality, ethnicity or personal background.
Likely region signal
UK
Country
from United Kingdom
- based on surname
74.9%
confidence
First-name region
UK
United States
40.7%
Surname region
UK
United Kingdom
74.9%
Court Outcome
Conviction and Sentencing Details
Sentenced
Detected legal outcome
the dangers posed by online predators, Michael Bickerton, a 49-year-old resident of Minshall Street in Stoke-on-Trent, has been sentenced to eight years in prison after traveling approximately 130 miles to Cambridgeshire with the intent ...
Prison sentence
eight years
In a disturbing case that highlights the dangers posed by online predators, Michael Bickerton, a 49-year-old resident of Minshall Street in Stoke-on-Trent, has been sentenced to eight years in prison after traveling approximately 130 miles to Cambridgeshire with the intent of abusing a 10-year-old girl
Court order
Additionally, he was subjected to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which aims to restrict his access to children and prevent further harm
Sex Offenders Register
indefinitely
He was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities
