March 20, 2018 12.08 pm This story is over 72 months old

Mum finds fellow online predator ‘guardian’ who stayed in family home is convicted sex offender

Hinding in plain sight.

Michael Terry, 43, was jailed for 20 months. Photo: Lincolnshire Police

A convicted sex offender who came in to contact with children after becoming “Head of Security” for a community group who monitor online predators has been jailed for 20 months.

Michael Terry, 43, used “great deceit” to join the Lincolnshire-based ‘Guardian Angels’ despite being subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which banned him from staying overnight at the same address as children.

Lincoln Crown Court heard that on several occasions Terry stayed overnight at the home of the Guardian Angels director, Mandy Bradley, despite her having three children aged under 13.

Terry was eventually caught after Mrs Bradley became suspicious and checked his background.

In a victim impact statement which she read out in court Mrs Bradley described how she felt her “world had fallen apart” when she discovered Terry’s convictions.

Mrs Bradley told the court Terry was trusted to stay overnight at her family home.

“He didn’t have the decency to inform us of his crimes,” she added.

The Lincolnshire-based Guardian Angels group monitors the internet for potential child predators.

The court heard Terry was sentenced to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which banned him from contacting children aged under 16 or staying overnight at an address where there are children when he appeared at Liverpool Crown Court in November 2014.

He was jailed for 12 months at Preston Crown Court in February 2016 when he breached the order by befriending a vulnerable woman who had a six year old son and staying overnight with them in Blackpool.

Justin Wigoder, prosecuting, told the court Terry breached the order again after he joined the Guardian Angels.

Mr Wigoder said: “They are an organisation which seek to monitor online activity with a view to identifying sexual predators.

“Terry managed to become Head of Security for that organisation. The director is Mandy Bradley, who has four children, with three aged 12 and under.

“Over a period of several months he would travel from his home in Preston and stay overnight with the family at the weekend.”

Mr Wigoder said the matter was discovered in February this year when several members of the group assisted with an arrest in Derbyshire and Mrs Bradley made her own her checks on Terry after a police request.

David Eager, mitigating, told the court Terry had pleaded guilty and “his only excuse” was trying to repair the damage of his previous offending.

Terry, of Marsh Lane, Preston, admitted breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Passing sentence Judge Andrew Easteal told Terry he did not accept that he was in any way trying to put right his previous offending.

The judge told him: “In this case you deliberately, artfully and with great deceit invaded yourself as head of security for this group known as the Guardian Angels.”

Speaking after the hearing Mrs Bradley said she was satisfied with the jail sentence for Terry.

She said: “The sentence is never really enough, but we respect the judge has to stay within the guidelines and we knew he would get between 18 months and three years.

“We are satisfied with the result.”