TEMMA BICKLEY FROM BESTWOOD SENTENCED FOR POSTING VICTIM'S NAME AFTER BROTHER'S SEXUAL OFFENSE IN NOTTINGHAM

In October 2018, a woman from Bestwood named Temma Bickley faced legal consequences after she was found guilty of publicly revealing the identity of a child sexual assault victim on social media. The incident occurred in the context of her brother, Teon Bickley's, recent conviction for serious sexual offenses involving a minor.

Temma Bickley, aged 28 and residing on Belconnen Road in Bestwood, was brought before Nottingham Magistrates’ Court where she was convicted following a trial. The court proceedings culminated on Thursday, 11 October 2018, with Bickley receiving a sentence that reflected the seriousness of her actions. The case centered around her malicious activity on Facebook, where she posted messages that identified the young victim of her brother’s sexual assault case, despite clear legal protections designed to maintain the anonymity of victims in such cases.

Specifically, Bickley shared a screenshot of the victim’s Snapchat account and included details that could lead to her identification. This act was particularly egregious given the legal context, as the victim was a minor and protected under multiple laws. The Sexual Offences Amendment Act explicitly states that victims of sexual offenses, including rape, are granted lifelong anonymity. This means that no one, including members of the public, should publish any information that could reveal the victim’s identity, such as their name, address, school, workplace, or photographs.

Furthermore, the victim identified by Bickley was a child, and her anonymity was automatically safeguarded under the Children and Young Persons’ Act. This legislation prohibits the publication of any details that could lead to the identification of juveniles involved in court proceedings. The law aims to protect minors from further harm and prevent their identification in the media or on social platforms.

Despite these legal protections, Bickley’s actions demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law. She was handed a conditional discharge for one year and was ordered to pay a fine of £200. The case was overseen by Detective Chief Inspector Pete Quinn of Nottinghamshire Police’s Public Protection Department. Quinn emphasized that Bickley was aware of the court order forbidding the publication of any identifying information related to her brother’s case but chose to ignore it.

“Temma Bickley was present throughout the court hearing. She knew there was a court order in place banning the publication of any details which could identify the victim in her brother’s case,” Quinn stated. “Despite this, she deliberately tried to discredit the victim by publicly identifying her using social media. Her actions were malicious and have caused the 13-year-old victim significant distress and anxiety.”

Quinn further highlighted the importance of respecting victims’ rights and the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to investigate and prosecute such violations. He warned the public to exercise caution when posting comments on social media platforms like Facebook, especially when it involves sensitive cases involving minors or victims of sexual offenses.

The case also references the conviction of Temma Bickley’s brother, Teon Bickley, who was sentenced in May 2018 to seven years and two months in prison after admitting to four counts of sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl. Details of his conviction can be found at https://theukdatabase.com/2018/05/03/teon-bickley-aspley/. This background underscores the gravity of the offenses and the importance of legal protections for victims, which Bickley’s actions directly contravened.