In 2019, the Offender Database reported that Mark Anthony Nicholson, then 51, formerly of George Street, Accrington, Lancashire, was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Burnley Crown Court. Nicholson, a “vile” and “repulsive” predator, was snared by the paedophile hunter group “No More Silent Voices” after engaging in graphic sexual communication with a volunteer he believed was a 12-year-old girl named “Gabby.” The investigation by Lancashire Constabulary followed a “serious” online sting that exposed his sickening fantasies and illegal intent.
The court heard horrendous details of the interaction, during which Nicholson—who later moved to Barrowford, Lancashire—graphically explained what he wanted to do to the child and offered to pay money for her underwear. He even appeared on video wearing female lingerie while conversing with the volunteer. Judge Andrew Jefferies QC dismissed Nicholson’s attempts to blame his depraved actions on mental health issues, reported instead that he committed the crimes due to an “unhealthy interest in young girls” and his history as a “prolific drug user.”
Mark Anthony Nicholson had a vicious criminal history, including a conviction for indecent exposure in the 1990s and a prison sentence in 2012 for breaching a non-molestation order. The prosecution reported that his behaviour toward the “Gabby” profile was “wholly inappropriate, illegal, and shameful.” The judge emphasised that the purpose of the sting operation was to “weed out dangerous people” like Nicholson, whose vile and predatory search for victims posed a serious risk to children in Accrington and the wider Lancashire area.
As a result of his convictions for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity, Mark Anthony Nicholson was jailed for 18 months. He was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for 10 years. He is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Lancashire Constabulary, remaining under intensive supervision. Any further predatory activity or breach of his orders in Accrington, Barrowford, or elsewhere will result in his immediate arrest.
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