BACUP PENSIONER HANDED SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR ONLINE SEXUAL CHATS WITH DECOYS
A pensioner named Stephen Pickup from Bacup has been convicted for engaging in online conversations with individuals he believed to be two 13-year-old girls.He initiated separate chats with what he thought were two teenagers, which quickly turned sexual in nature and involved exchanges of explicit images.
The police received referrals from online groups that were engaged in chatting with an internet address registered to Pickup.
Police attended his home on October 25, 2021, where Pickup, 76, was present with his wife.
He immediately admitted responsibility for the online activities.
Devices such as a laptop, an iPad, and a mobile phone were seized and examined, confirming he had been involved in the conversations using a profile for a 13-year-old girl named 'Izzy' created by decoy groups.
Pickup sent live pictures of himself, initially bare-chested, and instructed the supposed 'Izzy' to delete them.
He also discussed his preference for talking naked and on his bed during chats, and engaged in masturbation discussions, guiding the 'teenager' on ways to derive pleasure.
Similar interactions took place with another profile called 'Courtney,' which was also a decoy.
In his police interview, Pickup claimed that the decoys had instigated the exchanges.
Although no real minors were harmed, the court considered the behavior's timing and location as aggravating factors.
Pickup had self-referred for counseling and expressed remorse.
The court sentenced him to a suspended two-year prison term, with requirements for notification for 10 years, a sexual harm prevention order, and attendance at 30 rehabilitation sessions.
