Sex Offender Nabbed After Bedroom Wallpaper Gives Him Away
A Snodland sex offender hunting for a “secret boyfriend” has been jailed after cops spotted his bedroom wallpaper in explicit photos he sent to a victim.
Predator Targets Teen Boys Online
On 20 November 2023, 28-year-old Jack Hickey from Woodlands Avenue set up a profile on Chat Avenue, an online chatroom. He zeroed in on a user he believed was a teenage boy.
Hickey convinced his target to switch to Snapchat, a platform known for disappearing messages, then flooded him with lewd pics and messages — including an indecent snap of himself.
Wallpaper Clue Cracks Case Wide Open
Digital forensic experts tracked Hickey down by matching missing coving and wallpaper in the images to his bedroom. Officers raided his home on 30 November, arresting him on the spot.
While awaiting sentencing, Hickey was ordered to comply with sex offender notification rules. But he ignored them — creating a new Snapchat account between 15 and 19 November 2024 to contact another pretend teenage boy.
More Lewd Messages and a Failed Meet-Up
Relentlessly, Hickey hurled inappropriate messages, begged for video calls, and pressured the victim to send explicit photos in a school uniform. He arranged a nighttime meetup in Canterbury — but cops were waiting and promptly arrested him.
Jailed for Nearly Five Years
On 19 February 2025, Maidstone Crown Court sentenced Hickey to four years and ten months behind bars. He pleaded guilty to multiple offences including:
- Attempting sexual communication with a child
- Causing a child to view sexual images
- Making indecent photographs
- Arranging a child sex offence
- Attempting to meet a child
- Breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order
Detective Constable Steph Kirkin said: “Hickey is a predator who targeted victims he thought were young and vulnerable. He bombarded them with lewd messages to coerce explicit content for his own gratification.”
“Despite being caught and registered as a sex offender, Hickey shamelessly continued his vile behaviour — leading to a swift jail sentence.”
