Dangerous paedophile who tried to meet girl at Burger King in Sheffield trapped by undercover police

Sheffield Crown Court heard on March 4 how Jake Hurt, 27, of Langsett Crescent, Hillsborough, Sheffield, had been made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order less than a month before he attempted to incite a 12-year-old girl into sexual activity.

Ian West, prosecuting, said police trapped Hurt with an operation where an officer posed online as a 12-year-old girl called Amelia during communications with the defendant.

Judge Peter Kelson QC told Hurt: “You were caught by ingenious, effective and skilful police work. The 12-year-old girl Amelia was in fact a police officer.”

Mr West said the grooming started with innocent comments which became sexual and Hurt invited Amelia to his home and made sexual references about tying her up, kissing, spanking and other sexual activities and he requested a photo.

Hurt suggested she might touch his private parts before he sent pictures of his private parts, according to Mr West.

Mr West said Hurt arranged to meet the girl at the Burger King at Sheffield railway station on November 29 and that was where he was arrested.

Hurt pleaded guilty to five offences including: attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming; attempting to cause or incite a girl to engage in penetrative sexual activity; attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child; attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act; and to breaching an SHPO – which had been imposed on October 18 – by deleting mobile phone messages which he was prohibited from doing.

The court heard Hurt had been sentenced in October to a community order with an SHPO for similar sexual communication offences and for having indecent images.

Chris Aspinall, defending, said Hurt’s latest offending had only involved attempts and his community order and had not had time to take effect.

Judge Kelson told Hurt: “The fact is that when you went to Sheffield railway station to meet Amelia you intended to have sexual penetrative relations with a 12-year-old girl.”

Hurt was sentenced to six-years of custody to be followed by an extended licence period of six-years because he is deemed to be dangerous.