Sheffield Crown Court: Paedophile hunter group members posed online as young girls to trap pervert

Sheffield Crown Court heard on August 8 how Jamie Fox, aged 32, of Roman Crescent, at Brinsworth, Rotherham, struck up sexual conversations online with three profiles of young girls which had been set up as traps by a paedophile hunter group.

Gareth Henderson-Moore, prosecuting, said: “The defendant was the subject of the attention of a civilian paedophile hunter group who created several online profiles.

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"Adults were managing these profiles and images were uploaded and shared of the adults in question running the profiles which had been manipulated to give the impression of a much younger person.”

Fox made contact with a 12-year-old profile and the conversation became sexual with the defendant asking if the profile had a boyfriend, whether she touched herself, requesting images and discussing whether they could meet for sex, according to Mr Henderson-Moore.

Mr Henderson-Moore said the defendant had contact with another profile purporting to be aged 12 and again the conversation became sexual and he asked for images.

Fox finally had contact with a third decoy who claimed to be aged eight and he asked for images and sent her a picture of his genitals, according to Mr Henderson-Moore.

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The defendant arranged to meet the first contact at Rotherham railway station where he was apprehended by the paedophile hunter group until police arrived.

Fox, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to three counts of attempting sexual communication with a child, one count of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and to arranging a child sex offence all committed between the end of August and the beginning of September, 2021.

Richard Adams, defending, said Fox has learning difficulties and he has had a difficult upbringing but he is supported by his sister.

He added: “This is a case where a vulnerable individual is crying out for intervention.”

Mr Adams also said the whole process has been a “daunting and terrifying” experience for Fox and this is not something the defendant wishes to repeat.

Judge Graham Robinson sentenced Fox to two years of custody suspended for two years with a sex-offender programme and a rehabilitation requirement. The defendant was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years.