Andrew Colin Usher, aged 56, of Barbara Mann Court, Hartlepool, County Durham, was handed a 26-week suspended prison sentence at Teesside Magistrates’ Court after being convicted of grooming a girl under 16 for sexual activity.
The prosecution followed a Cleveland Police investigation into predatory digital messages sent to a schoolchild.
The court heard that Usher engaged in communications with the young victim for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification.
Usher utilised explicit sexual language and attempted to bribe the child with alcohol to convince her to accompany him back to his home address.
The court heard Usher had a previous conviction from 2019, when he received a 12-month community order for making repeated nuisance calls to emergency services.
Usher pleaded not guilty to the charge, but following a trial at Teesside Magistrates’ Court, he was convicted of:
Communicating with a child under the age of 16 for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification
The presiding magistrates sentenced Usher to a custodial term of 26 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.
The court also ordered Usher to pay £250 in compensation to the victim, a £128 victim services surcharge, and £600 in prosecution costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.
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