A predator who told a woman he met online to sexually assault two young children has his sentence increased by more than two years
Alan Nicholson, from High Harrington, Cumbria, had his case referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
In September 2021, Alan Nicholson (53) spoke to a woman online, called Louise, who he believed had two daughters, aged five years-old and a baby of four-months.
Their conversations revolved around serious acts of sexual abuse that Nicholson intended to carry out on Louise’s children.
However, Louise was an undercover police officer supporting Cumbria Constabulary’s Cyber and Digital Crime Unit.
Nicholson was found guilty on two counts of attempting to arrange/facilitate the commission of a child sex offence and received a three-year prison sentence.
He was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.
Following the sentencing at the Crown Court at Carlisle on 16 December 2022, the case was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
Nicholson’s original sentence was found to be unduly lenient by the Court of Appeal on 9 March 2023 and was increased to 5 years 9 months.
Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP, said:
Detective Sergeant James Bailey of Cumbria Constabulary’s Cyber and Digital Crime Unit said: