NICHOLAS BALDWIN JAILED FOR PREDATORY BEHAVIOR IN WATFORD

In May 2012, Nicholas Baldwin, a man residing in Watford, was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted of attempting to solicit two young girls for sexual activity. Baldwin, aged 46 and known for his church involvement, was found guilty of propositioning two 12-year-old girls in separate incidents that took place in the streets of Watford, Hertfordshire.

On the evening of Tuesday, May 3, 2011, Baldwin was observed driving his Volvo XC90 past one of the girls as she was walking along the street at approximately 6:50 pm. According to the prosecution, Baldwin wound down his window and asked her, “Hi do you want to get in?” The girl, who was dressed in her school uniform and carrying her tights and mobile phone, declined the offer. Baldwin then made an inappropriate comment, saying, “But I wanted you to take your knickers off.” The girl immediately ran away to The Brow, where she encountered two other girls of the same age. She then contacted her father, who came to pick her up, and the police were promptly notified of the incident.

Approximately ten minutes later, Baldwin was seen parked in Haines Way, Watford, where a second 12-year-old girl was walking past. She noticed Baldwin looking at her through his wing mirror and was approached by him with the words, “Hello are you ok?” He then asked, “Would you like to take a look?” The girl understood this as an invitation to view Baldwin’s genitals, and she quickly ran away to report the incident to the authorities.

Following these events, Baldwin was arrested at his residence on May 7, 2011. During a search of his home, police seized a laptop from his spare room. Forensic analysis by Hertfordshire Police’s High Tech Unit revealed that Baldwin had stored indecent images of children on his computer, some of which had been deleted. Baldwin remained silent during police interviews on May 7 and 8 but was later identified by the victims in separate video identification parades.

In his defense, Baldwin claimed that he was in Garston, having missed his turn while returning from a petrol station. He stated that he pulled over to check his SatNav and saw the girl remove her tights. Baldwin said he quickly put on his seatbelt, worried she might misinterpret his actions, and told her, “Are you okay? You should be careful you nearly showed me your knickers.” He claimed she then ran off. Baldwin also explained that he had taken a wrong turn and stopped to check his emails on his Blackberry. He described an incident where he was adjusting his underwear, which he found uncomfortable, when a young girl’s face appeared at his car window, shouting, “Oh my God.”

In addition to the charges of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, Baldwin pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children, including ten at Level 1 and four at Level 2, the lowest levels of such material. Baldwin, who has no prior convictions, was supported in court by his wife, friends, and members of his church. His legal representative, Miranda Moore QC, acknowledged that Baldwin accepted responsibility for his actions and was willing to cooperate with probation services. She described his conduct as “ten minutes of madness,” emphasizing that neither girl saw anything sexual nor was physically touched.

Judge Andrew Bright QC sentenced Baldwin to two years in prison, stating, “Men who behave as you did that evening are every parent’s worst nightmare. You have admitted to having an unhealthy attitude towards young girls. It is essential that you undertake the programs available in custody to address and overcome your obsession with young girls.” The judge’s remarks underscored the seriousness of Baldwin’s offenses and the importance of rehabilitation for offenders involved in such predatory behavior.