A man who sent indecent images to what he believed were young girls and arranged to meet one at Birkenhead Central train station has been jailed.
Michael Gifford, 32, of Osborne Vale, Wallasey, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on September 25 to six years and four months in prison. He had pleaded guilty to arranging a child sex offence, two counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to incite a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
Decoy conversations on Facebook
On October 25 last year, Gifford began messaging what he believed was a 13-year-old girl on Facebook. The profile belonged to an adult woman from a paedophile hunter group called Angels of Innocence. He asked her age, and she said she was 13. He asked if she was a virgin and sent an indecent image.
He called her “super fit” and asked for nude pictures, before sending another indecent image of his genitals, which was quickly deleted. On the same day, he messaged another girl he believed to be 12, whose profile was a decoy operated by the STOP paedophile hunter group. He sent a string of messages and a picture of his genitals, and asked her to show him her own.
Arrest at Birkenhead Central
Gifford arranged to meet the “13-year-old girl” at Birkenhead Central station at 6pm on October 26. Prosecutor Robert Dudley said: “He attended at 6.20pm on October 26. There were members of Angels Innocence outside the front of the station and on the platform. The defendant was heard to shout 'I'm here' before they detained him.”
Police were called and Gifford was arrested. In interview, he denied all allegations, claiming his brother had access to his phone.
Previous convictions and sentencing
Mr Dudley said Gifford had previous convictions for violence, including assault, threatening behaviour, criminal damage, and possession of a bladed article. In March this year, he was found guilty of assaulting his mother and sentenced to seven months in prison.
Andrew McInnes, defending, said: “He has fully accepted the offences. He has given what explanation he can, his mental health being poor at the time, his relationship with his family, particularly his mother, being very difficult. He and his stepfather were convicted of assaulting his mother.” He said Gifford had spent part of his childhood in care, later lived with his father, and struggled in school due to ADHD and epilepsy.
Recorder Eric Lamb said: “You were in touch with what you understood to be a 13-year-old girl. In fact it was an adult decoy, and you went on to make those requests for images of her body and you arranged to meet to have sex with her. Moreover you attended the station in Birkenhead and were detained by members of the paedophile hunter group and arrested by the police. But for the fact that child didn't exist, you would have been involved in penetrative sex with that child.”
He also noted the similar conversation with a decoy believed to be 12, saying: “On the same day there had been a similar conversation with a decoy you believed to be a 12-year-old girl, and again you were sending pictures of yourself and requesting images from that child.” Gifford was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
