Through the looking glass: The truth about Notts ‘Casanova’ Nick Bradbury

But what of the man?

8 years ago

Last week, someone claiming to be 27-year-old Nick Bradbury was thrust into the spotlight on the buy/sell tickets Facebook group, after it was revealed that he had been messaging multiple girls who did not know him with an identical message.

The modern day Romeo came across as a bit weird, very persistent, but a genuine guy who had just misjudged how to approach women. However, The Tab can reveal there is more behind the Nick Bradbury alias than mere flirtatious banter.

Over 15 students from Nottingham admitted that Nick had contacted them, with the earliest starting in September and the majority receiving a follow up message on Thursday evening.

For Trent graduate, Eve Silveston-Maxey, this was not the first time she had encountered the infamous Nick Bradbury.

Speaking to The Tab, Eve said: “When I was 16 I had a friend request from this guy, Nick Bradbury. Obviously seven years ago we weren’t as hot on internet security as we are now and I accepted his friend request. Within minutes I had an inbox from him on Facebook. He told me he was mid-late 20’s, so seven years later he must now be in his 30s.

“When you’re 16 and not the prettiest of all of your mates, any attention from guys is quite nice, plus it said on his profile that he went to Rushcliffe School, the same place I went to school, so I was unsure as to whether I may know him or not anyway. At first he didn’t seem like a weirdo at all, just a pleasant guy that I might actually know.

“Being a naive 16-year-old, I responded to his message. He had asked how I was, said I looked hot in some of my photos. At the time I was really surprised especially for being a short and stumpy 16 year old with commas for eyebrows and a fringe I’m pretty sure I had cut myself. I was politely responding saying thanks and I was fine and how was he etc.

“He then went on to say he ran or worked for a modelling agency in Nottingham and wanted me to send him some photos as I had been scouted. All I remember thinking was how great it was I was finally getting a shot.

“So, being the naive 16 year old I was, I sent him three or four photos of my face. He responded along the lines of, ‘actually I’m looking for underwear models’. I was still pretty chuffed I had been ‘scouted’ by a professional agency but I didn’t have any photos of myself in underwear. I told him I wasn’t comfortable sending those across the internet but would be happy to meet him in person to discuss it but only if my Mom came along. At this point he started to get a little bit nasty.

“It ended up with me getting a whole load of verbal abuse and I ended up blocking and deleting him on Facebook. At the time I never said anything to anyone because I was pretty embarrassed. Plus when you get called a whole load of nasty names as a 16 year old you tend to cry about it whilst listening to sad songs.

“About a year later my friend showed me this message from this guy and it turned out to be Nick Bradbury. Straight away I said he seems fishy, block and delete him, which she did also after receiving some abuse from him. Another friend had the same problem but unfortunately she had actually sent him some underwear photos.

“I’ve heard so many stories about this guy over the years from different friends all over Nottingham, university students, people I knew from College, and now 7 years later he’s still at it. It concerns me because how do you know if he really is who he says he is and is just really unprofessional, or if it’s some catfish type person who stores inappropriate images of young girls.

“Whether he has images or not, the fact the he repeatedly harasses women with so many unwanted messages and gets away with it is disgusting. Some girls are naive and would play right into his hands and it sickens me. If he approached women in person about this then he would probably have been arrested for harassment but because it’s on Facebook that makes it okay?

“When I saw that post on Buy/Sell tickets I was so relieved that he was being named and shamed, it’s about time. I hope Facebook act on it and block him so he no longer has access to all these vulnerable young girls and I hope that there might even be some form of prosecution in it for him because harassment isn’t okay in any form.”

Nick attempted to contact a number of girls from the University of Nottingham, who were also uncertain of his motives and whether he was genuine. Third-year Architect Sacha Bennet-Ford, spoke to The Tab about being contacted by Nick. She did not know about his interactions with Eve, and thought he might just be bad at talking to girls.

Sacha said: “Both me and my friend got chatted at the same time so we both thought it was very weird. My friend called him out on it and he started asking her why she was jealous. And then she stopped replying.

He was a bit upset saying stuff like why are you ignoring me, please don’t ignore me. Let’s say he’s very persistent. I think it’s a genuine attempt to get girls because he has been doing it for so long and to so many. I just feel sad for him to be honest, but yes it is strange. Especially as it is so many girls.”

Siobhan Dooley, a second-year Biochemist, who was also unaware of Nick’s past, received multiple messages from Nick.

Siobhan said: “You’ve got to be impressed that he’s trying that hard, but at the same time it is really weird. What 27-year-old has that much spare time? That is if he really is a 27-year-old called Nick. It’s a bit of a catfish situation. I’d say it’s probably a genuine attempt to pick up girls. He got really sassy with me when I ignored him three times, and by the looks of it he did with other girls too.

“Facebook isn’t a dating website, most girls are going to find it a bit weird if a stranger messages them out of the blue for that reason. It’s bad he got so annoyed when they didn’t want to know, no one is obliged to talk to anybody. He should download Tinder or join a dating website if he wants to meet a girl online.”