July 2018

Online child groomer caught by paedophile hunters

An online pervert who believed he was grooming a schoolgirl for sex has been jailed after he was caught by paedophile hunters

Cainan Bancroft, 19 (also known as Kane Marcus) of Leeds appeared at Leeds Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to a total of 11 sexual offences:

• Four counts of: Enticing a 13 year old girl to witness masturbation by an adult

• Four counts of: Enticing a 13 year old girl to engage in sexual activity 

• One count of: Enticing a 13 year old girl to meet for Sexual Activity

• One count of: Enticing a 12 year old girl to witness masturbation 
  

• One count of: Enticing a 12 year old girl to engage in Sexual Activity 

The court was told that Bancroft had contacted what he believed was the online profile of two girls aged 12 & 13. Bancroft proceeded to send sexually explicit chat with a view of engaging in sexual activity with the child.

During one part of the chat, Bancroft sent a video of himself masterbating

Bancroft told on of the girls that he wanted to meet her and set up a time and a place.

However, when Bancroft arrived at the meeting place, he was confronted by members of online child protection team ‘C.O.P (Catching online Predators)

The team questioned Bancroft on his internet activity and told him that the girls he had sent sexual messages and videos to were in fact adults posing as children. The decoys were part of team ‘Silent Watchers’

The team called the police and he was swiftly arrested. The team followed the police to the station and handed their evidence over.

The judge handed Bancroft two years detention in a young offenders institution and he will made subject to the conditions of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years

He is also required to register as a sex offender for 10 years