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Escorting agent jailed after he hid inside public toilets

An escorting agent jailed after he hid inside public toilets at a pop concert has been handed a lengthy jail term.

Lawrence Pickford, 44, was filmed enjoying an evening at a Tricky Bold Boys event, which sees ticket-holders meet and greet with some of the biggest acts in music.

That is when he crossed the line and grabbed a 23-year-old woman’s bum after pretending to discover her under a toilet.

The Essex man was jailed for 18 months at Basildon Crown Court after admitting he crept into Southend arena in order to film women on the lavatory.

Essex-based Pickford, a managing director and escort agency worker was arrested as he returned home, after asking neighbours to report a ‘suspicious looking man’, which led to his arrest.

It emerged his true identity after footage of him coming out of the loo was released.

Pickford pleaded guilty to two charges of a public order offence in breach of a protection order.

Appearing before Judge Paul Digby at Basildon Crown Court, Essex, the court heard how Pickford went to Southend arena to celebrate another booking he’d made there.

This led him to breach a restraining order which had been made against him over the previous year.

Pickford pleaded guilty to two charges of a public order offence in breach of a protection order.

Pickford was specifically barred from coming within 100 yards of a 23-year-old woman.

But Pickford was able to sneak into the toilet to talk to the woman without anyone noticing, taking her under the loo so he could film her.

Prosecutor Waldorf Shingles said Pickford ‘acted aggressively and was at one point kicking the loo’.

It was said: ‘He then proceeded to thrust himself towards the young woman, who jumped up to shield herself from him.

‘She felt his hand over her bottom and said “oh no, that’s not a nice thing to do”.

‘It is clear Pickford did this as an attempt to grab her bottom.

‘The video was subsequently posted online.’

Pickford, from Basildon, Essex, wept as he was sentenced.

Recorder Paul Digby said: ‘He breached a protection order and was at risk of the same offence happening again.

‘If you got into that position again, you would have the opportunity to offend.’