Police release picture of jailed South Yorkshire pervert described as a 'danger to girls'

Sheffield Crown Court heard how Andrew Gillard, aged 54, of Union Street, Barnsley, engaged in deeply-disturbing sexual conversations with the decoys suggesting meeting in hotel rooms for sexual contact including penetrative sex.

Judge Rachael Harrison described Gillard as posing a high-risk to children and told him: “You are a manipulative man who is a danger to girls.”

Nicola Quinney, prosecuting, said the decoys were paedophile hunters pretending to be children online.

She added the first in August, 2017, claimed to be a 12-year-old girl who was asked if she would like to go swimming and share a changing room and a hotel room.

A further 13-year-old decoy became involved in September, 2017, and Gillard engaged in sexual conversation asking if she would like to shower and have sex and he said he could book a hotel, according to Ms Quinney.

Ms Quinney said the third decoy in October, 2017 claimed to be 13-years-old and Gillard told her they could kiss and cuddle and they exchanged phone numbers and communicated by text.

Gillard talked a further 12-year-old decoy in October, 2017, about kissing and booking a hotel before paedophile hunters attended his home and he was arrested.

Despite an investigation, further contact was made with a 14-year-old decoy in August, 2018, and the conversation became sexual and in September, 2018, he travelled to Leeds to meet the contact but was met by paedophile hunters and the police were alerted.

Gillard pleaded guilty to five counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and one count of attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming.

Lydia Carroll, defending, the offences had involved attempts with decoys that were not real children. She added Gillard suffers with depression and has an eye condition and he may be vulnerable in prison.

She added: “The defendant is someone rather desperate for companionship.”

Judge Harrison sentenced Gillard on July 15 to 26-months of custody. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten-years.