A sick predator tried to meet a 12-year-old at a shopping centre and told her to say she was his niece if they encountered anyone they knew.
Pervert, Michael Hancock, 59, from Jarrow, believed he was talking to a real child who was in the care system when he sent pictures of his genitals but it was in fact an undercover police officer, reports Chronicle Live.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how in October 2021 the officer had set up an online profile purporting to be an 18-year-old and Hancock began to communicate. He was quickly told the girl was in fact 12 and he admitted he was 57 but carried on the conversation.
