Grooming Plot Foiled After Van Driver Caught Cruising for Teen Boy
Simon Hancock, 47, drove 20 miles from Dartford with one dark goal: to meet a teenage boy he had groomed online. The van driver was caught prowling a car park near Mote Park, circling and scouting for the underage victim.
Hancock had spent days flooding the boy’s Snapchat with explicit messages and obscene images. He shockingly admitted he knew the teenager was underage but boasted he planned to teach him how to “touch, kiss and hold.”
Police Spot Suspicious Van, End Chase with Dramatic Arrest
On 19 February 2025, eagle-eyed officers noticed Hancock’s white Toyota repeatedly leaving and re-entering the Mote Park car park. Suspecting foul play, they tailed him to a nearby street called Greenside.
In a panic, Hancock rammed his van into an unmarked police car, desperate to flee. Officers quickly surrounded and forced entry into the vehicle, cuffing Hancock on the spot. They found a kitchen knife and seized two phones.
On one device — dubbed his “bad” phone — Hancock confessed to owning indecent images of children.
Sick Predator Slapped with Three-Year Prison Sentence
Hancock copped to charges including arranging or facilitating a child sex offence, attempted sexual communication with a child, and making indecent images. On 2 October, Woolwich Crown Court handed him a hefty three-year jail term.
He will also be slapped with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order once he’s out. A separate knife charge was left on file.
Police Urge Parents to Keep Kids Safe Online
Detective Constable Ellie Campbell said: “Hancock’s actions were predatory and calculated. He deliberately targeted a child online, sent explicit material, and travelled with the clear intention of committing further sexual offences. Thankfully, our officers stopped him in time.”
“This case is a stark warning to parents. With young people spending so much time online and on messaging apps, it is crucial to educate them about staying safe and reporting anything that feels wrong.”
