DEVON MAN CAUGHT QUIZZING DECOY AS CHILD PREDATOR, SENTENCED TO COMMUNITY ORDER

A man from Newton Abbot, named Andrew Maddick, was caught through a police sting after attempting to engage in sexual activity with a decoy whom he believed was a 13-year-old girl. Maddick, aged 35 at the time, had initially posed as an artist working for a clothing company during online conversations on Kik between January and March 2020. The chat turned sexual when he shared explicit images and videos of himself and made inappropriate comments, including that the girl looked 'like a little hotty.' He discussed bringing her to Devon, even arranging transport and buying her underwear, despite the fact that the girl was a decoy created by authorities. Maddick sent graphic images of his genitals and expressed desires to meet up, become intoxicated, and have sex. He had purchased a train ticket in hopes that she would travel to Devon for such encounters but never intended the girl to exist—she was a police decoy. His online activity also revealed searches for images of minors being sexually abused. Maddick was arrested in May 2020, and during the investigation, police found five bras he had bought for the girl. He later continued communications with a second decoy, claiming to be a talented artist and boasting about sexual exploits. He admitted to five offenses related to attempting to communicate with and cause a child to engage in sexual activity. Maddick appeared at Exeter Crown Court to be sentenced, where he was given a community order with unpaid work, and was ordered to complete a sex offender program. The judge, Anna Richardson, acknowledged Maddick’s remorse and assessed him as a low risk of reoffending, with the potential for his risk to be managed within the community. The court also imposed a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a three-year community order with 300 hours of unpaid work.