Liam Pickstock, 36, from Egremont, has been jailed for six years at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to a series of offences against six women. He was also handed a further three years on an extended licence.
Pickstock was arrested in May and charged with three counts of harassment causing fear of violence, one count of harassment without violence and three counts of cyber-flashing. He has been remanded in custody since his arrest.
Campaign of harassment between 2020 and 2026
Police said his offending took place between 2020 and 2026, with his behaviour escalating significantly in March and April this year, when multiple victims reported receiving large volumes of unwanted contact over a short period.
The harassment took several forms, including social media messages from an account using the alias "Joe Price", phone calls, voicemails, emails and handwritten letters. Detective Constable Sam Parry said the communications were frequently sexually explicit, degrading and threatening. Pickstock also sent explicit images of himself and attended the home addresses of some of his victims.
An investigation uncovered digital evidence, CCTV footage, telephone records and devices seized by officers, which helped link Pickstock to the offences.
Victim left anxious and afraid in her own home
One of Pickstock's victims described the devastating impact the harassment had on her mental health, confidence and sense of safety in a personal statement presented to the court. She said she had always considered herself a "strong and independent woman" who had never been afraid of anyone, but the experience left her constantly anxious and fearful.
The woman, who lives alone and works alone in her shop, said she struggled to sleep and began feeling suspicious of people around her, including her own customers. She said: "Since this happened, my fear and need to check my security has increased because I no longer felt safe in my own home.
"I have never been someone who was scared of people or easily intimidated. This situation changed that. I no longer felt safe in my home or my workplace. The messages and voice notes saying he would be waiting outside my shop and coming to my shop throughout the day made me feel extremely vulnerable and anxious, especially with me working alone."
She also told how she received between 30 and 70 voicemails throughout the night. The victim added that the sexually explicit comments directed towards her were "extremely disturbing and frightening" and left her worried about what Pickstock might be capable of.
The ordeal also affected how she interacted with other people, leaving her more guarded and less trusting of strangers. She said: "I no longer feel able to interact with people in the same open and trusting way that I used to.
"This has been difficult for me because I feel like I have lost a part of my personality and the confidence I previously had. I hope this statement helps explain the impact this has had on my life. I want to be able to move forward, feel safe again, and get back to the person I was before this happened."
Police welcome significant prison sentence
DC Parry said it was pleasing to see Pickstock receive a significant custodial sentence and hoped the outcome would help his victims as they continued to recover. He said: "Between 2020 and 2026, we have been able to prove that Pickstock engaged in the harassment of six women.
"Although we subsequently established that these offences began in 2020, his offending escalated significantly in March and April this year, with multiple victims reporting a high volume of unwanted contact over a short period of time."
DC Parry said officers had been able to arrest and remand Pickstock before his pattern of offending escalated further. He added that each of the victims had understandably experienced significant fear, anxiety and distress.
Encouraging anyone experiencing harassment to come forward, DC Parry said police would treat reports with care and compassion. He said: "Do not suffer in silence. Today's outcome shows how seriously police and the courts treat such offences."
