DENTON MAN EDDIE PIWKO CAUGHT IN POLICE STING TRYING TO MEET SCHOOLGIRL BRIDE IN DEVON

In a disturbing case that highlights the dangers of online grooming, Eddie Piwko, a 51-year-old resident of Denton, was apprehended after attempting to travel approximately 300 miles to meet a girl he believed to be a schoolgirl bride. The incident unfolded as part of an undercover police operation aimed at dismantling online child sex predators.

Throughout the investigation, Piwko engaged in chat rooms where he targeted vulnerable young girls, some as young as 14. He persistently urged them to run away from their homes and convinced them to consider him as a future husband. Despite openly sharing his real age and providing a photograph, Piwko continued to groom these girls, exchanging explicit messages and images with several of them. His actions eventually led to his capture in a sting operation conducted by law enforcement agencies based in Devon and Cornwall, even though his residence was in Denton, Tameside.

Following his arrest, Piwko faced multiple charges, including four counts of attempting to arrange a sexual act involving a child. He admitted to these charges, acknowledging his intent to meet the girl in person for what he believed would be a romantic and sexual encounter. The police operation was meticulously planned to identify and apprehend online predators, and Piwko fell into their trap after months of grooming a fictitious girl, whom they named ‘Jasmine’ as part of their undercover identity.

During the course of the investigation, Piwko was lured into believing that Jasmine was real. He engaged in lengthy online conversations, promising her trips to popular attractions like Alton Towers and romantic evenings filled with bubble baths and rose petals. His conviction that Jasmine was genuine was reinforced by the police’s setup of a dedicated phone line for late-night chats, which he believed was a direct line to his intended victim. Law enforcement officers revealed that by the time they raided his home, Piwko was under the impression that Jasmine was coming to live with him and had even discussed hiring a car for an abduction.

Chat logs obtained from the investigation reveal chilling exchanges, with Piwko telling Jasmine: “Once you are here you will hardly be able to go out until you are 16 – police all over the UK will be looking for you.” When Jasmine asked if they would need to hide, he responded, “In a way hun. You could dye your hair and that hun. Don’t leave the laptop behind because the police could get all the info – do you think you will be here by the end of March?”

In a subsequent phone call, Piwko expressed his desire for a romantic relationship, stating, “I’d love you to be my wife.” Prosecutor Henry Blackshaw highlighted that police searches of Piwko’s computers uncovered evidence of him grooming three other girls over the span of a year. One of these victims was a 15-year-old girl, whom he told, “When you’ve left school you could come off the pill.”

Another girl, described as anorexic and psychologically disturbed, was also targeted by Piwko. During their online interactions, he pressured her to eat, saying, “Will you try and eat for me? If you don’t eat you will not have the strength to make love.”

Piwko was taken into custody in August 2013. During police interviews, he claimed that his intentions were to ‘help and comfort’ teenagers, a statement that law enforcement officials found to be a gross misrepresentation of his actions. The case is scheduled for sentencing before Judge David Hernandez on the upcoming Tuesday, where Piwko will face the consequences of his predatory behavior.