Worksop pervert groomed 13-year-old decoy ‘girl’ for ‘the thrill of being caught’

Benjamin Tickner was confronted at his workplace by the self-styled paedophile hunters "Predator Exposure" on August 15, 2022, Nottingham Crown Court was told.

Tickner, now aged 36, sent a friend request to a 13-year-old decoy called "Sophie" on Facebook and said: “You’re young, aren’t you?” He claimed to be in his late twenties and engaged in sexualised chat with the "girl", sending her a 16-second porn video before warning her not to tell anyone.

He later shared pictures of his genitals, asked her to perform a sexual act, and requested pictures of her. Tickner, who bragged to her about driving a Hyundai Ioniq and managing a solar panel business, sent videos of him driving his works van wearing sun glasses.

He later told police he did it “for the thrill or the danger of being caught and that he had it too good in life." Andrew Wesley, mitigating, said Tickner, of previous good character, accepts full responsibility.

After he was confronted at work he lost his job immediately, his eight-year relationship ended, he lost his home and “a large social circle because of the stigma attached.” Tickner has lost two jobs since and is fortunate to be in stable employment now, the court heard.

"There will be further publicity on the social media channels,” Mr Wesley added. “The consequences may well continue to flow. He is a man who made a mistake which has had far-reaching consequences.”

Tickner, formerly of Fleetway, Worksop, and now of Atkinson Street, Hunslett, Leeds, admitted three charges of grooming last September. On Wednesday, Recorder Paul Mann KC imposed a 16-month prison sentence suspended for two years with a 43-day group therapy programme for sex offenders and 30 rehabilitation days.

He also placed Tickner on the sex offenders register for ten years and made him the subject of a ten-year sexual harm prevention order. The judge told him: "Make sure you do cooperate with the probation service. If you don't you will be back here. You won’t get this chance again. Go away.”