South Yorkshire pervert tried to meet 14-year-old "girl" for sex in public toilets

Vigilante group the Templar Knights, who claim to "identify online sexual predators," confronted John Borres at his supported accommodation in Barnsley after he contacted the decoy they set up online, between October 24 and 29, 2018.

Prosecutor Ian Goldsack said Borres’s messages “rapidly became sexual in content” and he sent her indecent images of himself.

"He asked repeatedly for sex and asked her to perform a sexual act," he said. "He accepted he should have stopped when she told him he was 14.

"He tried to arrange a meeting in public toilets in Barnsely for sex and asked whether she would dress as a boy.

"He offered to wear a condom and asked her to send pictures of herself in a school uniform.

"He also asked for naked pictures of her and admitted he had a sexual interest in girls aged 13 and 14."

Sheffield Crown Court heard Borres has no previous convictions but has warnings on his record from 2005.

Vanessa Saxton, mitigating, said Borres was forced to move from two supported accommodation addresses in Barnsley after the vigilante group tracked him down.

She said the offences were "attempts" which took place more than 18 years ago, and "strict restrictions" had since been placed upon him, including access to the internet.

"There have not been any difficulties since 2018," Ms Saxton said. "He has had this hanging over him for some time."

Borres, 30, of Weeland Road, Eggborough, Selby, pleaded guilty to attempting to arrange a child sexual offence, attempting to incite a child to engage in penetrative sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, on December 23, last year.

Judge Michael Slater said Borres was a "vulnerable person with significant problems of your own."

He said a two-year prison sentence would be “well justified,” but suspended it for two years, because Borres would receive better supervision where he is.

Borres must carry out 30 days of rehabilitation and a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed. Borres was warned he would be sent to prison if he disobeyed.