DAVID HEATHCOTE, 60, JAILED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES AFTER PAEDOPHILE HUNTER STING
Update 17/12/2025: David Heathcote, 60, of Harriseahead, Kidsgrove, was sentenced to four-years-and-one-month in prison at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Wednesday, 10 December, 2025.He is convicted of.
• Two counts of sexual communications with a child.
• Two counts of arranging to facilitate commission of a child sex offence involving grooming behaviour with a significant disparity of age.
•Two counts of attempting to meet a child through sexual grooming.
•Two counts of causing a child to watch sexual activity.
•Two counts of attempting to insight a child to engage in sexual activity.
Heathcote has also been given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 15 years.
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A paedophile has been locked up after adding two teenage girls to social media and sexting with them.
David Heathcote, of High Street, Harriseahead, sent pornographic videos to the girls and asked them for sexual photos.
The 60-year-old told one of the girls he wished to have sex with her in her school uniform, asked her to wear it should they meet, and told her not to wear any underwear.
He taught both teens how to carry out sex acts on themselves.
But the two girls - aged 13 and 14 - were decoy profiles planted by a paedophile hunter group - and Heathcote was busted.
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the group's showdown with Heathcote attracted thousands of views.
Nicholas Tatlow, prosecuting, said: “He was arrested and interviewed on July 15 and answered ‘no comment’ to all questions asked about his contact with the two 'girls'.
His phone and computer were seized when officers went to his address.
The defendant has convictions from 1983, including offences of exposure.
He was subject of a three-year community order for possession of indecent images of children and was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which was due to expire on March 3, 2026.
He has been convicted twice of breaching the SHPO in 2022 and 2025.
Neil Gerrity, mitigating, said: “The offences took place over a few days rather than serial contact offending.
There was the absence of real children.” Heathcote was handed a 49-month prison sentence and a 15-year SHPO.
Recorder Rupert Jones said: “The decoys were controlled by a group catching out those with a sexual interest in children.
You went on Facebook and sent friend requests to young girls.
They told you their ages and almost immediately you told them you wanted sex with them and you told them to call you daddy.
You say you do not have a sexual interest in children but this is clearly not the reality.
Although there was not officially actual contact with a child, it was attempted.
Your offending is so serious only an immediate sentence of custody can be justified.”
