DIONI HAKI FROM PARSON CROSS JAILED FOR SEX OFFENCES INVOLVING ONLINE PREDATOR HUNTERS IN SHEFFIELD

In a significant case heard at Sheffield Crown Court, Dioni Haki, a 32-year-old man residing in Parson Cross, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for a series of serious sexual offences. The court's proceedings revealed disturbing details about Haki's attempts to engage with what he believed was a 13-year-old girl through online communication, only to be caught in a sting operation conducted by self-styled 'paedophile hunters'.

The judge, Roger Thomas QC, expressed a critical view of these vigilante groups, stating, “They seem to police the unpoliceable internet,” highlighting the controversial nature of their activities. The case involved Haki contacting an online account he believed belonged to a young girl named Courtney Baker in February of the same year. Unbeknownst to him, this account was created by an online team known as 'Hunters 25/8', who set up the decoy profile to catch potential offenders.

Prosecutor Camille Morland detailed the interactions, noting that Haki engaged in numerous conversations about sexual topics with the decoy. Between February 4 and March 7, Haki sent three videos of himself performing a solo sexual act to the account he thought was a minor girl. The court was also informed that he attempted to persuade the girl to participate in sexual activities and to send explicit photographs of herself.

Haki, who arrived in the UK illegally from Albania three years prior, pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual offences during an earlier hearing. These offences included attempting to induce a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity and attempting to cause a minor to watch a sex act.

In addition to his prison sentence, Judge Thomas ordered Haki to be placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years. The judge also announced that Haki would be deported once he completes his sentence, emphasizing the serious nature of his crimes and the importance of safeguarding children from online predators.

The judge remarked on the role of online vigilante groups, stating, “I know of these organisations that seem to have cropped up, not public bodies, who seem, in some ways, to police the unpoliceable internet. One of those organisations set up a profile of a 13-year-old, and you contacted it. You had sexual communication with someone, or at least someone you believed to be, under 13.”