The victim, who was 13 when first contacted, delivered her statement at Norwich Crown Court as Lee Shocklidge was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Shocklidge, 40, admitted 25 offences involving children between 2021 and 2024. The court heard he engaged in highly sexualised conversations with at least a dozen girls aged between nine and 15, encouraging them to record explicit material and send it to him.
Impact on Victims
In her statement, the victim described his actions as “absolute evil” and said the messages made her feel sick. She told the court that he had stolen her innocence but that she had since regained her confidence and sense of self.
The court was told Shocklidge contacted victims via messaging platforms including WhatsApp, often pretending to be only slightly older than them.
Only five of the 12 identified victims have so far been traced by police.
Pattern of Offending
Shocklidge lived in Norwich when the offences occurred between June 2021 and July 2023. He later moved to Northamptonshire, where further offences were committed between July and October 2024.
Prosecutor Philip Farr told the court that Shocklidge exchanged thousands of messages with victims and persuaded them to share explicit images and videos.
The offences came to light after one child disclosed concerns to a safeguarding officer at her school. Following parental involvement and police investigation, explicit material was discovered on her phone.
An adult decoy was subsequently used to gather further information about Shocklidge’s location.
While under investigation for earlier offences, he committed additional crimes that were later uncovered by an online paedophile hunting group in Northamptonshire.
Charges and Evidence
Shocklidge admitted offences including:
• Causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity
• Attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act
• Causing a child to watch a sexual act
• Making indecent images of children
• Distributing indecent images of children
The material involved 1,650 images, including 58 classified as Category A, the most serious level.
He has no previous convictions.
Court Remarks and Sentencing
Judge Anthony Bate said Shocklidge had acted from the privacy of his home, describing the impact on a large number of young girls as significant.
Defence barrister Gavin Cowe said Shocklidge had no intention of meeting victims in person and had become socially isolated after moving to Norwich. He argued that the offending was carried out online and was driven by personal insecurities.
Shocklidge, now living in Kettering, was sentenced to 12 years in custody.
Ongoing Restrictions
In addition to the prison sentence, Shocklidge was made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about online child exploitation and the safeguarding of young people on messaging platforms.
