Description
A prolific offender has been jailed for propositioning a child to perform a sexual act at Hull Paragon station, following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.
Ben Puckering, aged 39 and of no fixed abode, was jailed for 18 months at Hull Crown Court on 2 April after pleading guilty to Inciting a Child to Engage in Sexual Activity.
The court heard how on 7 December last year, Puckering, who uses a wheelchair, approached the 14-year-old boy as he passed through the station with friends and propositioned him to perform a sex act in exchange for cash.
The boy, who was visibly terrified and shaken, reported the incident to station security staff who immediately contacted BTP.
Puckering was arrested and refused to answer any questions in interview, only commenting that ‘there would be no witnesses’.
BTP PC Natasha Hawley said:
“I would like to commend the victim for the courage and resilience he has shown in reporting Puckering’s crime and supporting our investigation.
“Cases of this nature can have a lasting impact, and I hope the sentence handed to Puckering provides reassurance that he has been held accountable for his actions and will remain off the streets for some time.
“Puckering has a long history of offending in and around the station and this is by no means his first conviction. He now has a long stint behind bars to rethink his disgusting behaviour.
“This case highlights the importance of speaking out – we take every report of sexual offending seriously and will stop at nothing to bring offenders like Puckering to justice.“