Pervert snared in Rotherham by paedophile hunter groups 'hoped to have sex'

Sheffield Crown Court heard on October 11 how Roland Kuru, aged 24, was arrested at Rotherham railway station after he had been communicating online with paedophile hunter groups pretending to be children and he had arranged to meet one of them.

Recorder Anthony Hawks told Kuru: “I am satisfied that the purpose of your going to Rotherham was that you hoped to have sexual intercourse.”

Gurdial Singh, prosecuting, said a group contacted Kuru in February, 2020, claiming to be a 14-year-old girl and he asked her to be his girlfriend and his conversation became sexual and he requested pictures of her breasts and “private area” and he sent a picture of himself.

Mr Singh added that another group contacted Kuru in the same month via social media and pretended to be a 12-year-old girl and he asked for a photo of her genitals and offered to send her a photo of his genitals and he made sexual comments.

This same group created a 14-year-old profile who contacted Kuru by Facebook and he asked for photos of her breasts and discussed sex and sent her a photo of his genitals, according to Mr Singh, and an arrangement was made to meet at Rotherham railway station.

Mr Singh said Kuru, of no fixed abode, was approached by a group member at the station before police arrested him.

Kuru, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to three counts of attempting to incite a girl aged over 13 to engage in sexual activity, one count of attempting to incite a girl aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and to one count of attempting to meet a girl aged under 16 following grooming.

The defendant, who represented himself, said: “Is there any chance I can get some kind of community order so I can learn about these things I have been doing? I am very sorry.”

Recorder Hawks recognised Kuru’s personal difficulties and mental health issues but he said his offending must be met with a custodial sentence.

He sentenced Kuru to two-and-a-half years of custody. Kuru was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and he was made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.