He thought he was meeting a girl, 14, for sex and to buy her lingerie — but it was a sting

He thought he was meeting a girl, 14, for sex and to buy her lingerie — but it was a sting Matthew Hickman, aged 29, was jailed for three years after a police probe in Norfolk revealed his intentions to meet with a underage teenager with the intention to have sex A predator who had hoped to meet up with a child for sex was jailed for three years after the planned interaction was actually a police sting. Matthew Hickman, aged 29, believed he was speaking to a 14-year-old girl called ‘Jess’ and bought a train ticket to Norfolk as he vowed to have sex with her, the Old Bailey heard. Hickman, of Lewisham, southeast London, falsely claimed to be 19-years-old and suggested he would buy the teenager lingerie from Primark. While sentencing, judge Mr Recorder David Jeremy KC said: “The facts of this case were triggered when an undercover police officer posing herself online as a 14-year-old girl named 'Jess' in Norfolk. The officer created a number of accounts on social media, the profile picture of the accounts was "Jess" with a school uniform.” Hickman then messaged ‘the girl’ and she said she was looking for fun, which led to Hickman sending the undercover officer an image of him pleasuring himself along with a vile comment. He messaged the ‘young girl’ on multiple accounts as he continued to send inappropriate messages to the ‘teenager’ Hickman slouched against the window of the dock as the judge said: “Later you contacted her with a different account asking if she was into anal. You knew she was 14, and you said you were 19. “So there it is, Mr Hickman, a man now 29, believing he was speaking to a schoolgirl aged 14, and engineering to meet her to have sex with her.” Hickman was arrested on 5 December 2024, after officers searched his devices and found a series of indecent photographs of children, including 15 still images in the highest category A. The judge added: “You were interviewed and you denied having sexual interest in children, which was obviously a lie, a lie you continued to tell probation officers. You have not come to terms with your offending, and I hope in your time in custody you will seek help.” Hickman admitted two counts of arranging the commission of sexual activity and three counts of making indecent images and was sentenced to a total of 36 months in prison. He was also handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and ordered £228 in victim surcharge and additional costs.