DAVID COLDWELL GATESHEAD PAEDOPHILE HUNTER TRAP JAIL

A 71-year-old man from Gateshead has been sentenced to prison after attempting to meet a girl he believed was just 14 years old for sexual activity. The individual, David Coldwell, was lured into a trap set by paedophile hunters, who created a fake online profile under the name Amy to catch potential offenders.

According to court proceedings, Coldwell initiated contact with the decoy profile in June 2020 through a popular messaging app. During their online exchanges, he was informed that the girl was 14 and nearly 15. Over the course of their conversations, which involved dozens of messages, the tone gradually shifted towards sexual content. Prosecutor Lee Fish detailed that Coldwell made explicit references to her having sex for the first time and advised her to engage in sexual acts with an older person, emphasizing the importance of discretion.

Within hours of their initial contact, Coldwell suggested she perform a sexual act on herself and invited her to visit him when she was older. The court heard that he was aware such discussions were inappropriate, as he explicitly told her to keep their conversations secret. Despite expressing a desire to wait until she was older, Coldwell quickly changed his stance and invited her to meet the following week.

As their communication moved to WhatsApp, the exchanges continued for four weeks, during which sexual topics were frequently discussed. Coldwell made comments such as