In 2019, the Offender Database reported that Michael Etock, then 62, and his wife Sharon Etock, then 59, were sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court. The couple, formerly of Tyler Crescent, Butterwick near Boston, and later of Coalville, Leicestershire, were jailed following Michael Etock’s sexual abuse of a schoolgirl and their subsequent joint effort to intimidate the victim into dropping the charges.
The court heard that Michael Etock, a former army man and railway signalman, groped and kissed the young victim and initially told her to keep the encounter a secret. After the girl bravely reported the abuse to the police, the Etocks launched a calculated attempt to pervert the course of justice. Between April 1 and April 4, 2018, Michael used Sharon’s mobile phone—with her full knowledge and assistance—to send intimidating text messages to the child. One message explicitly commanded the victim: “You’re gonna have to tell them it’s all lies on your part.”
During police interviews, Michael Etock admitted to the sexual abuse but claimed it was a “one-off event.” While a jury cleared him of six additional counts of sexual activity, he pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual activity with a child. Sharon Etock was admitted to perverting the course of justice, with the prosecution describing her as “instrumental” in the attempt to protect her husband by silencing a witness. Judge John Pini QC noted that Michael Etock had lost his “good name” and his career but emphasised that the crimes were far too severe for anything other than immediate custody.
In early 2019, Michael Etock was sentenced to two years in prison. Sharon Etock was sentenced to eight months in jail for her role in aiding and abetting the witness tampering.
In addition to his jail term, Michael Etock was ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years. The couple’s move to Coalville, Leicestershire, was noted during the proceedings. Upon release, Michael Etock remains subject to strict monitoring under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) to ensure the safety of children in the community.
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