Northampton man jailed for child sex offences

A 68-year-old man from Northampton, Michael Ian Cox, has been sentenced to over five years in prison after admitting to multiple child sex offences. On June 28, 2021, Cox met a 15-year-old girl in Northampton and drove her to Essex, where over a nine-day period he inappropriately touched her multiple times. During the return journey, police stopped him on the M1 near junction 15 in his red Toyota, safeguarding the girl. The victim later reported that Cox had kissed her, touched her inappropriately, and repeatedly tried to persuade her to engage in sexual activity. Police also found numerous messages of a sexual nature on Cox’s mobile phone, in which he expressed love for the girl despite knowing she was only 15 and still at school, even asking her to delete some messages. Cox was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of sexual communication with a child. He also faced charges related to possessing with intent to supply Class B drugs and cannabis, which police discovered in his vehicle. At Northampton Crown Court, Cox pleaded guilty in November and was sentenced earlier this month (December 11) to five years and eight months in prison. Additionally, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) was imposed, lasting for 10 years. Detective Constable Andrew Scott, the lead investigator, expressed satisfaction with the conviction, highlighting Cox’s awareness of the girl’s age and ongoing inappropriate conduct. He also thanked the victim for her courage and support throughout the investigation, emphasizing the importance of community safety and asserting that authorities will continue to pursue offenders. The article encourages affected individuals to report crimes via police or anonymous channels and provides support resources.