KIRKBY PAEDOPHILE STEVEN OCKLESHAW ESCAPES JAIL AFTER PREDATORY CHAT WITH UNDERCOVER GROUP

In February 2018, a disturbing case unfolded involving Steven Ockleshaw, a 25-year-old man from Kirkby, who narrowly avoided imprisonment after engaging in explicit sexual conversations with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. The incident was brought to light through the efforts of a vigilant group known as Net Justice, which describes itself as a child protection organization.

Ockleshaw initiated contact with the teenage girl via WhatsApp and a chat forum called ‘The Skout’. Over time, his messages became increasingly sexual, with him requesting explicit photographs and engaging in sexually explicit dialogue. Unbeknownst to him, the individual he was communicating with was not a minor but a member of Net Justice, who was acting undercover to catch potential predators.

The group, consisting of approximately four members, confronted Ockleshaw at his residence on Ormonde Crescent in Kirkby. They revealed that he had been communicating with them under the false assumption that he was talking to a young girl. Following this confrontation, the group reported the incident to the police, leading to Ockleshaw’s arrest and subsequent charges.

At Liverpool Crown Court, the prosecution, led by David Polglase, detailed the nature of the messages exchanged. He emphasized that Ockleshaw’s communications with the supposed underage girl grew increasingly sexual, including requests for explicit images. The court was informed that the group from Net Justice had approached him under the pretense of purchasing a motorbike, which was part of their strategy to confront him directly.

During the hearing, Ockleshaw pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child. His defense attorney, Ken Heckle, acknowledged that Ockleshaw had been heavily intoxicated at the time of the offenses. Heckle expressed remorse, stating, “He accepts his behaviour was disgusting. He is not able to tell the court what was behind it, but he wants help for it.”

Heckle also highlighted the personal consequences Ockleshaw had faced, including losing his job as a security guard, relocating his residence, and now only having supervised contact with his two young sons. The court was told that Ockleshaw’s actions had caused significant upheaval in his life.

Judge David Aubrey QC addressed Ockleshaw directly, stating, “You believed you were communicating with a 14-year-old child, and the conversations were sexually explicit. Little did you know that in actual fact you were not communicating with a child, and any harm you potentially would have caused was removed in consequence of that. It shows you had an unhealthy interest in either a child or children, or most certainly an unhealthy interest in communicating in the manner in which you were.”

As a result, Ockleshaw was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for the next ten years, marking a significant legal consequence for his actions. The case underscores the ongoing efforts of child protection groups and law enforcement to combat online predatory behavior, especially in communities like Kirkby where such incidents can have profound impacts.