Overview
- Michael Cooper, 22, pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court to 14 counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of sexual communication with a child, and meeting a girl under 16 following grooming.
- The offending took place between August and October 2024 after Cooper contacted the victim on Snapchat using a false name and targeted her vulnerabilities.
- Recorder Bryan Cox KC imposed a six-year prison sentence, a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order, an indefinite restraining order, and placement on the sex offenders' register.
- Investigators used automatic number plate recognition to trace Cooper’s vehicle from his home area to Hartlepool, corroborating the victim’s account and evidence.
- Prosecutors said Cooper threatened self-harm to deter disclosure, and court reporting states he demanded a birth certificate and made violent threats toward the victim.