Chesterfield man branded 'a high risk of harm to female children' is jailed

Michael Pick, 21, targeted both girls while they were with friends around Chesterfield – grabbing breasts and leaving “love bites”. Jailing him, a judge told Pick he posed “a high risk of harm to female children” and it seemed there were “no boundaries” to prevent him offending again.

Derby Crown Court heard Pick had a conviction for a previous sexual assault on an under-aged girl when he was aged 15 - when he followed a girl aged 15 into a public toilet.

A prosecutor described how on April 26, 2021, Pick approached his first victim. Luring her back to his home address with the offer of a cigarette, Pick emerged from the house with a roll-up as she waited outside.

The prosecutor said: “As she lit the cigarette he grabbed both her breasts over her clothing and squeezed – she pushed him away a number of times. As often happens with young victims, she froze, and described him looking excited by what he was doing.”

As Pick grabbed the girl by the waist and tried to kiss her, she was able to push him away and ran back to find friends who called the police. He was arrested over a week later and denied the attack during a police interview.

While still on bail on June 4 last year Pick assaulted another young girl as she sat with friends in a public recreation area in Chesterfield.

The defendant, who gave a false name and claimed to be 16, shouted at his victim and a female friend that they were “fit” and he wanted to “s***” them. He showed them a knife in his man-bag – he said it was for cutting carpets but it’s presence worried some of the group,” said the prosecutor.

He added: “The defendant crawled up to her (the victim) and pushed her backwards, kissing her neck and chest area, leaving what can be described as “love bites” which caused her some pain. "She called out for help from another member of the group who helped her push him off.”

As the group of youngters walked away Pick approached again, grabbing his victim from behind and putting his hands down her trousers.

After the girl finally got away from Pick, her mother phoned police – who later arrested the defendant at his home address.

In a statement read out to court, one of the young girls described how after the attack she had relapsed into self-harming, struggling to sleep and control her emotions. Both described being afraid to go out unaccompanied.

Judge Jonathan Bennett told Pick: “A serious aspect of this is you were on bail for (the first attack) – these were children having a pleasant time in a park.

"Also, you had a blade with you – you told (the victim) about it and that quite disturbed her, particularly in the light of what happened later.”

Adding Pick’s previous offences troubled him “greatly”, the judge said a probation officer had concluded the youth posed a “high risk of harm to female children aged 12 to 16”.

He said: “You have no regard for court orders or the fact that you were on bail – there are no boundaries it seems that can prevent you from offending further. You lack any insight into your offending – often you are putting the blame on the victims in this case.”

As well as a previous sexual assault on a female, Pick had other convictions for battery, theft, criminal damage, public order and breaches of a restraining order. The defendant, of Holland Road, Old Whittington, admitted sexual assault on a female, inciting an under-aged girl to engage in sexual activity and possessing a knife in a public place.

He was jailed for 50 months with an extended post-release licence period of 24 months and handed five-year restraining orders in respect of both victims.