December 2016

Online ‘vigilante’ helped snare Carlisle man looking for child sex

An online “vigilante” helped snare a man intent on committing a child sex crime.

Ronald Carter, 57, was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court on Friday having previously admitted attempting to incite a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity.

Prosecutor Brendan Burke said the offences occurred in April and May, when Carter was then living at a city address housing people with mental health problems. A support worker was based there.

“This offence came to light, in fact, through her, because the defendant appeared to be boasting about a message he had, telling the mental health worker ‘this is from my little girlfriend’,” said Mr Burke.

Carter had responded to a Facebook friend request.

“This ‘girl’ is a middle aged man,” stated Mr Burke, who stressed it was not an official police sting.

“[But] it appears to be the sort of exchange which one would not be surprised to see in a police operation. In other words it does not have the flavour of aggressively trying to trap someone.”

The prosecutor added: “Very quickly, as happens with more state-sanctioned operations, ‘she’ makes it clear ‘she’ is only 15.”

Carter, now living in Partridge Place, off Wigton Road, made a host of lewd suggestions, sent an indecent image and even planned to meet the “girl” for sex. Police were alerted.

Paul Tweddle, defending, said of Carter: “He is a man who is not well, is on benefits and is facing imminent homelessness.”

No further mitigation was offered after Judge Peter Davies concluded he could follow a probation service report recommendation.

Carter was given a three-year community order, comprising a sex offender treatment programme and a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He must also sign the sex offenders’ register for seven years, and was handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.