SIMON HIGGINS FROM DROITWICH ESCAPES JAIL AFTER CHILD SEXUAL OFFENCE PLOT IN PHILIPPINES

In April 2017, a disturbing case emerged involving Simon Higgins, a resident of Droitwich, who was found to have engaged in online communications that revealed disturbing intentions related to child exploitation. Higgins, a 30-year-old forklift truck driver, was arrested following a police investigation into the abuse of children in the Philippines, which led authorities to search his home on Ploughmans Rise, Droitwich.

During his court appearance at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday, March 29, Higgins pleaded guilty to charges of arranging or facilitating a sexual offence and possessing indecent images of children. The investigation uncovered that the attempt to arrange a sexual act with a child took place over a period from early February to late June 2014. On his mobile device, police discovered four indecent images classified as level B, indicating a moderate level of seriousness in terms of child exploitation material.

Prosecutor Paul Whitfield explained that Higgins was arrested on September 29, 2015, as part of a broader police operation targeting the abuse of Filipino children. During the search of his phone, authorities found not only the indecent images but also Skype chat messages exchanged between Higgins and a family in the Philippines. These messages included disturbing inquiries, such as one asking, “How much would it cost me to have sex with your girls?” and another implying an intent to obtain explicit material involving a four-year-old child. Higgins also requested that the family send him an explicit video of a young girl.

Mr. Whitfield emphasized that Higgins was attempting to arrange a sexual act with children who had already been identified, although there was no evidence to suggest he traveled to the Philippines to commit such offences. The court heard that there was a significant gap—approximately 15 months—between the Skype messages and Higgins’s arrest, and there was no indication that he followed through with his intentions.

Judge Daniel Pearce-Higgins, presiding over the case, acknowledged the seriousness of the charges but noted that Higgins appeared to be somewhat socially isolated, with a good work record but few friends. The judge stated, “It seems to me that, in reality, all that has happened here – it’s still serious – is an attempt to commit this offence rather than the actual offence itself.”

As part of his sentence, Higgins was given a three-year community order, which includes a requirement to participate in a sexual offenders group work program. The judge warned that this should not be viewed as an easy option. Additionally, a sexual harm prevention order was imposed for five years, and the prosecution was awarded costs of £1,200. The police also seized and ordered the destruction of Higgins’s phone to prevent further misuse.