BRAMFORD MAN GIVEN SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR ONLINE CHILD GROOMING
A man from Bramford, Adam Williams, has been handed a suspended sentence after being caught by a paedophile hunter group posing as a 12-year-old girl.He appeared before Ipswich Crown Court and pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
The court was told that between February 24 and March 9 this year, Williams messaged a decoy profile created by the group 'Justice for Kids', which was clearly identified as a 12-year-old girl.
He exchanged messages via Facebook and WhatsApp, sent sexually explicit images and videos of himself, and asked the decoy for intimate photos.
Williams expressed love and desire to have sex with the girl and arranged to meet her at a hotel near Stoke-on-Trent.
He was subsequently arrested at the hotel.
Defence lawyer Joanne Eley stated that Williams was in a bad place at the time and not thinking clearly.
The judge, Nicola Talbot-Hadley, sentenced him to 14 months in prison, reduced from 21 months due to his guilty plea, and suspended this sentence for two years.
Williams will undergo trial monitoring for six months, complete up to 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years.
Additionally, he will have a notification requirement for ten years and must pay a victim surcharge of £187.
The case underscores the dangers of online grooming and the importance of vigilance.
