Anthony Michael Hancock, then aged 36, of Shelley Road, Middlesbrough, was sentenced to five years and four months’ imprisonment (64 months) at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, after attempting to incite a child into sexual activity online.
The conviction follows an investigation by Cleveland Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT).
The court heard that Hancock, a registered sex offender who first committed sexual offences more than a decade ago, contacted a child online and attempted to cause or incite a female child aged between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity.
Police investigations also established that Hancock had failed to comply with his statutory sex offender notification requirements.
Officers arrested Hancock in June 2026, and he remained remanded in prison until his sentencing hearing.
Hancock was convicted of:
- Attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child
- Attempting to cause or incite a female child aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity
- Failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements
Detective Constable David Philipson welcomed the sentence, confirming that the substantial prison term reflected the level of harm Hancock poses and that police remain determined to pursue those who target children online.
The presiding judge sentenced Hancock to a total of five years and four months’ imprisonment and imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Release Calculation: Under UK sentencing legislation governing sexual offences, Hancock is required to serve two-thirds (42.6 months / 3 years and 6 months) of his 64-month sentence in prison custody before becoming eligible for statutory release on licence. His projected release date falls in March 2030, whereupon he will remain subject to licence conditions and statutory community supervision until the expiration of the full term in January 2032.
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