August 2010

Police trap man who thought he was grooming 14-year-old

A man has been jailed after grooming and arranging to meet a 14-year-old girl – who was actually an undercover police officer.

Edward William Davies, 36, of Royalthorn Road, Benchill, Wythenshawe, pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following grooming and was sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court to 10 months in prison.

The sting took place in 2009 when a profile was set-up for an imaginary girl, simply named ‘Tracey’, who added Davies as a friend on the social network site Mingleville. Police officers then began chatting regularly to Davies through Tracey’s profile.

Despite being told she was only 14 and still at school, Davies sent several sexually explicit messages to her, asking her to be his ‘slave.’ He pestered her to meet him and in August last year officers agreed.

Davies sent a picture of his car to a mobile phone number he thought was Tracey’s, but at the meeting point Davies was met by several officers from GMP’s Sexual Crime unit and was arrested.

Detective Constable Colin Ward said: “Clearly, Davies’ intention was to meet a girl whom he knew was just 14, and although we will probably never know his true intentions, the sexually explicit remarks he made gives us a good indication what he could have been planning.

“Thankfully Tracey was not real and no child was abused but I hope this case sends out a message.” Davies was told he must sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.