EDWUART MATRANXHI CAUGHT IN TYNE & WEAR TRYING TO MEET 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL FOR SEX

In a disturbing case that highlights the ongoing efforts to combat online child exploitation, Edwuart Matranxhi, a 22-year-old Albanian immigrant, was apprehended in Tyne & Wear after attempting to meet a supposed 14-year-old girl for sexual activity.

Matranxhi believed he was communicating with two schoolgirls named Laura and Louise when he arranged to meet them in Sunderland on June 30. Unbeknownst to him, the individuals he was speaking with were members of Guardians of the North, an online child protection group dedicated to exposing predators.

During the online exchanges, Matranxhi sent messages posing as a minor, asking if the girls wanted to have sex. He even expressed concern about the legal repercussions, stating, 'You are 14, I could go to jail for this.' The group tracked the origin of his messages and located him at a Bed & Breakfast in Percy Main, North Tyneside.

Members of Guardians of the North detained him at the scene, holding him down until police arrived to make the arrest. Authorities found two condoms in his pockets, indicating his intent.

Prosecutor David Lamb detailed the sequence of events, explaining that the communication began innocuously with a simple greeting. The fake girl asked Matranxhi his age, to which he responded that he was 22. The conversation quickly shifted to sexual topics, with the fake girl claiming to be 14 and asking if he was a virgin. Matranxhi inquired if she would like to have sex with someone, revealing his intentions.

In court, it was revealed that Matranxhi required a translator during proceedings. He pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity to two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Defense lawyer Mr. Vic Laffey explained that the defendant had entered the UK illegally, having come here on the back of a lorry to seek work. Originally from Albania, he lived with his family—parents and siblings—before coming to Britain. Due to a lack of employment opportunities, he initially worked at a car wash in London before moving to Tyne & Wear.

He was staying in a B&B, paying with money earned from his work, but struggled to find employment locally. Laffey emphasized that Matranxhi was eager to return to his family, especially after learning that his mother was ill. His journey to the UK was driven by desperation.

Judge Recorder Eric Elliott QC sentenced him to 12 months in prison, explaining, 'Unbeknownst to you, this girl did not exist and the girls were the creation of the group Guardians of the North who set up false profiles with a view to entrapping people such as you.

You fell fully into their trap. The Guardians of the North tracked you down on June 30, and you were detained and subsequently arrested by police.' The judge also noted that Matranxhi would be deported after serving his sentence, though this was not a matter for the court.

Furthermore, he was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for the next ten years and will be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. Matranxhi, who has no fixed address, faces the consequences of his attempt to exploit a minor online, underscoring the ongoing efforts by law enforcement and child protection groups to combat such predatory behavior.