Michael Lawrence

Michael Lawrence, a 38-year-old man from Hinckley, was convicted and sentenced for grooming and inciting a 12-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity. The case, investigated by the British Transport Police, came to light following Lawrence's initial contact with the victim at Kettering station in the summer of 2022.

Over a period of two years, Lawrence sent the schoolgirl more than 1,200 messages and voice notes via social media. He began by befriending her, gradually escalating to explicit sexual content. In one message, he admitted, 'sorry if I’m being flirty with you I’m naughty.' The following day, he suggested they could 'be together secretly.' During a particularly intense 30-day period, he bombarded her with 223 messages, including warnings about what she should tell her father about him.

The grooming behaviour only surfaced during a separate police investigation. When officers arrived at Lawrence's address on Tudor Road in Hinckley to arrest him, he defiantly asked, 'do you think I’m f****** dangerous?' Despite pleading not guilty and maintaining his innocence throughout the trial, Lawrence was found guilty on two counts of inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity at Leicester Crown Court on 13 February 2026.

The court imposed a custodial sentence of four years and 11 months, extended by two years on licence. Lawrence was also required to register as a sex offender indefinitely and was subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. This order barred him from unsupervised contact with children under 16 without consent from those aware of his convictions, and prohibited him from using social media or apps to contact children, as well as mandating that he delete search history and refrain from wiping or encrypting devices.

Detective Constable Alex Price of the British Transport Police highlighted the victim's courage in supporting the investigation, noting Lawrence's lack of remorse and the deliberate escalation of his actions over two years. The case underscores the persistent and predatory nature of Lawrence's conduct, which had a profound and lasting impact on the young victim.