Michael Warchol, an internet paedophile from Hull, has been sentenced to imprisonment after being ensnared in undercover police operations aimed at identifying potentially dangerous individuals. He frequently transmitted graphic messages and photographs to individuals he believed were young girls.
Serial offender Michael Warchol believed he was communicating with genuine girls; but, unbeknownst to him, they were decoys established by investigators, as presented before Hull Crown Court.
Maya Hanson, for the prosecution, stated that Michael Warchol received a five-year sexual harm prevention order at Hull Crown Court on December 21, 2023, for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a minor and attempting to provoke a minor to participate in sexual conduct.
The police obtained intelligence from the regional organised crime section indicating that Michael Warchol engaged in discussions with a decoy posing as a 12-year-old girl from December 4 to December 19 of the previous year. It originated on the social media network Kik and subsequently transitioned to Snapchat.
Michael Warchol promptly transmitted a private photograph of himself, and the fictitious girl informed him that she was 12 years old. Notwithstanding this, the dialogue persisted, and Warchol transmitted an additional intimate photograph of himself, along with an explicit video and a selfie.
He requested the girl to provide photographs of herself and enquired about her sexual experiences. “He requested a video call to demonstrate,” stated Miss Hanson.
Information regarding Michael Warchol was acquired, and facial recognition software correlated a photograph previously supplied to the girl with his likeness. He was apprehended at his residence on January 14. Authorities discovered 25 mobile phones, not all operational, along with a presumably malfunctioning laptop.
On February 12, the East region special operations team submitted an additional report to the police concerning Michael Warchol’s correspondence with a decoy posing as a 14-year-old girl. He requested a photograph of the girl, and upon receiving one, he reciprocated with an intimate image of himself.
He communicated with the fake girl between December 2 and 19. She told him that she was a child and that she had a day off school but the conversation continued. He sent a series of explicit images and asked intimate questions. He requested pictures of her and he told her: “U know what I really want of u.” Michael Warchol was arrested on March 11 but he made no comment to all questions. His previous convictions included possessing an offensive weapon in 2019.
David Godfrey, mitigating, said that the offences were serious but Michael Warchol had pleaded guilty. Drug and alcohol use had affected his impulse control. Michael Warchol was emotionally insecure for his age and he had never had a social group.
“He knows that, when he gets out of prison, he is going to have to stay off his computer and fight these urges and understand why he keeps engaging in this behaviour,” said Mr Godfrey. Michael Warchol realised that it was the police’s job to “wheedle out people like this” by using decoys. It was possible that he might be deported to Poland.
Michael Warchol was jailed for two-and-a-half years. He was given a sexual harm prevention order for life and he must register as a sex offender for life.
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