Christopher Bradshaw

Christopher Bradshaw, a 32-year-old man from March in Cambridgeshire, was sentenced to six years in prison for inciting a girl aged 13-15 to engage in sexual activity and for failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements. The case came to light after Bradshaw contacted online decoy accounts operated by an activist group targeting child abusers.

In May 2025, Bradshaw initiated contact with a decoy account on social media, unaware that it was not a real child but a sting operation. The profile portrayed a 13-year-old girl still attending school. Despite this revelation, Bradshaw proceeded to engage in conversations of a sexual nature, sharing explicit messages. He then provided his phone number to shift the discussion to WhatsApp, escalating the inappropriate interaction.

Around the same time, Bradshaw made contact with a second decoy account, this one representing a 14-year-old girl. Again, he ignored the stated age and continued with explicit exchanges, once more sharing his contact details for WhatsApp communication. Although he did not use his real name in these interactions, Cambridgeshire Constabulary officers were able to trace the shared phone number back to Bradshaw, leading to his arrest.

Bradshaw, who had a prior conviction as a sex offender, pleaded guilty to the charges at Peterborough Crown Court. The sentencing took place on 23 December 2025. Detective Sergeant Rob Hutchings from the Management of Sexual or Violent Offenders Unit (MOSOVO) commented on the case, stating: “Bradshaw is clearly a risk to children. Protecting young people from harm is one of our top priorities and we will do all we can to bring offenders to justice.” This incident underscores the role of online activist groups and police in safeguarding children from predatory behaviour.