Police catch man in van trying to meet up with child for sexual activity in Sixfields
Police watched the defendant drive around looking for a 14-year-old girl, who was really an undercover police officer
A man has been sent to prison for three years after attempting to meet up with a 14-year-old girl in Sixfields to carry out child sex offences.
Andrew Barton, aged 46, of Hunderton Avenue in Hereford, appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Thursday, February 9 after pleading guilty to two counts of intentionally arranging or facilitating an act involving the commission of a child sex offence.
The court heard that Barton started an online conversation with a police officer posing as a 14-year-old girl on October 24, 2022.
Caroline Bray, prosecuting, told the court that - within a couple of minutes - the conversation turned sexual as he asked her for oral sex and suggested she video call him and remove her clothes.
Barton then arranged to meet the decoy in Sixfields for oral and penetrative sexual activity “if she was a good girl,” the court heard.
In Sixfields, police officers sat in their cars and observed Barton drive around in his van for a while as he looked for the young girl before they arrested him.
At the time of his arrest, Barton told officers he was “simply making deliveries” but later told them “it was stupidity on my behalf,” the court heard.
Barton’s previous convictions include battery and breaching a restraining order.
Liam Muir, in mitigation, told the court that Barton has no relevant previous convictions and this will be his first custodial sentence.
He added: “Being away from his family has caused him to really evaluate his life. He is disgusted with what he has done even though he is struggling to articulate it in the way he should.”
Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane, in her sentencing remarks, said: “You minimised your behaviour. It is not uncommon due to the stigma and shame of these offences so I do not hold that against you.”
She added: “There was no actual child involved but it is to be noted that is only prevented by police intervention at the last minute.”
Barton was sentenced to three years in prison. He was placed on the Sex Offenders Register and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed indefinitely.