PERVERT EXPOSED BY PAEDOPHILE HUNTERS HAS BEEN SPARED FROM IMPRISONMENT BECAUSE HE WOULD FIND IT DIFFICULT
James Cockburn engaged in sending sexual messages to profiles he believed belonged to underage girls.However, it was later revealed that he was communicating with two adults who are members of a paedophile hunting group.
During their interaction, Cockburn sent explicit images of his genitals to one of these decoys, believing he was corresponding with minors aged 12 and 14.
A court heard that the members of the hunting group later confronted Cockburn at his residence in County Durham while streaming the encounter live on Facebook before notifying law enforcement authorities.
On a Friday, Cockburn, residing on Walker Drive in Bishop Auckland, appeared before Durham Crown Court to receive his sentence for two counts of attempted sexual communication with a minor, attempting to induce a minor into sexual activity, and inciting a minor to commit a sexual act.
He admitted guilt to these offenses, which took place between August and October 2024.
The court was informed that the decoys had created fake profiles on an online chat platform called 'Purp,' pretending to be underage girls one claimed to be 12, the other 14.
Cockburn initiated separate messages with each profile, later transitioning conversations to WhatsApp.
Prosecutor Martin Towers stated that the decoys disclosed their imagined ages at the beginning of each exchange.
Cockburn expressed affection for the supposed 14-year-old girl and asked her to be his girlfriend, even sending explicit images.
He also requested naked pictures from the decoy and, in conversations with the decoy claiming to be 12, he again asked to be her boyfriend and suggested she perform a sexual act on herself.
Additionally, he expressed a desire to be in the bath with her.
These interactions were followed by the paedophile hunters confronting Cockburn at his home and livestreaming it.
He was subsequently arrested.
The judge agreed with the defence that: "He would struggle to cope in a custodial setting and would require additional monitoring and support." He was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for 18 months.
Furthermore, Cockburn was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehabilitation.
He will be listed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and was subject to a decade-long sexual harm prevention order.
