Andrew Turiccki

Andrew Turiccki, a 31-year-old man from Peterborough, engaged in online sexual communication with what he believed to be underage girls, leading to his arrest and imprisonment.

In January 2022, Turiccki, using a false name on Facebook, initiated conversations with profiles posing as two girls aged 13 and 14. These profiles were operated by an online child activist group dedicated to exposing potential paedophiles. During these interactions, Turiccki sent inappropriate images of himself and made explicit sexual comments, demonstrating clear intent to engage in sexual communication with children.

The activist group, unable to gather sufficient identifying details initially, created an adult decoy profile to further engage Turiccki. Through this profile, they obtained his phone number, which he had previously shared. Turiccki then sent the same inappropriate images to the decoy and revealed his true identity. On 20 February 2022, members of the group arrived at Eastfield Road in Peterborough to confront him directly. Turiccki was arrested at the scene by officers from Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

Turiccki, who had no fixed address at the time, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. On 24 June 2024, at Peterborough Crown Court, he was sentenced to eight months in prison. Although no physical contact offences occurred, the court recognised the serious nature of his intentions.

Detective Sergeant George Neal of Cambridgeshire Constabulary commented on the case, stating: "Although Turiccki didn’t commit any contact offences, the intent was clearly there to harm a child. The force work tirelessly to apprehend and bring to justice those who are willing to cause harm to society's most vulnerable people." This case underscores the role of online vigilance groups in supporting law enforcement efforts against child sexual exploitation.