February 2016

Man jailed after believing he was going to meet girl for sex

mw

A MAN of previous good character is behind bars for the first time having fallen for an internet sting by online vigilantes, posing as a 15-year-old girl.

Martin Walters, now 30, thought he was communicating online with ‘Sexy Sarah Robinson’, who he made contact with after seeing a made-up social media profile, featuring a picture of an unknown 22-year-old woman from America, who was, “looking for a good time”.

Durham Crown Court heard that in online messaging, however, it was made clear to Walters that the person he thought he was communicating with was claiming to be just 15-years-old.

Despite this, Walters still pursued plans for a rendezvous for sexual purposes with the ‘girl’.

In reality the profile was created by a ‘Mr Davis’, one of the men behind the self-styled Dark Justice group, which sets about catching online perverts seeking sexual encounters with underage children.

Martin Towers, prosecuting, said the rendezvous was to be at an address in Middlesbrough, where the fictitious 15-year-old was said to live, on June 14 last year.

Walters travelled from the Bishop Auckland area for the liaison and was in constant messaging with what he thought was the girl, meanwhile Mr Davis had alerted the police.

“Mr Davis kept him engaged on the phone while waiting for the police to arrive, but they didn’t arrive, and the defendant left without having the rendezvous he was seeking, which was impossible in any event.

“Not long after that the fake profile was taken down.”

Mr Towers said, eventually, police were able to trace the defendant’s movements by a variety of means, including cell site analysis of where he had made and received calls, confirming he made the journey to Middlesbrough at the relevant time.

When initially questioned by police he gave “no comment” interview, but Walters, of Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland, subsequently admitted a charge of attempting to meet an underage girl following sexual grooming.

Mr Towers said it was clear from the messaging ahead of the planned get-together that the defendant planned to have some form of sexual activity.

Judge Simon Hickey said although the person Walters thought he was going to meet, “didn’t exist”, he, nevertheless, set off seeking to meet someone he believed was 15, for sexual purposes.

Jailing him for eight months, Judge Hickey also made Walters subject to registration as a sex offender for ten years.