MAN SENTENCED TO 10 MONTHS IN PRISON IN GUERNSEY FOR INCITING GROSS INDECENCY WITH A CHILD MIKE PEPPERELL

In March 2019, a man was sentenced to 10 months in prison in Guernsey for attempting to incite gross indecency with a minor. The offender, 52-year-old Mike Pepperell, used a dating app to send explicit messages to an individual he believed was a 14-year-old boy.

Pepperell was communicating with the boy via Grindr, a social media platform targeted at gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Throughout their conversation, the boy disclosed that he was only 14, yet Pepperell continued to send messages containing graphic sexual details and even encouraged the boy to travel from Jersey to Guernsey for a meeting.

He sent the 'child' screenshots of the Condor Ferries website and said, "let me know when you’re coming and I’ll meet you." When the boy expressed uncertainty about booking ferry tickets, Pepperell advised him to "get somebody to help you or go into the condor office."

It was later revealed that Pepperell admitted to sending pictures of his penis to the boy, who turned out to be a paedophile hunter from Jersey. This case marks the first of its kind in the Bailiwick, as Pepperell’s messages were directed to Jersey-based paedophile hunter Cheyenne O’Connor, who was posing as the teenager.

Judge Russel Finch described the explicit content of the messages as ‘deplorable’ and noted that despite Pepperell’s lack of prior convictions and his seemingly good character, his actions clearly aimed to encourage a young boy to travel to Guernsey for sexual activity. Pepperell was sentenced to 10 months in prison, with an extended two-year license following his release.