MINESH PATEL FROM HARROW, LONDON, CONVICTED FOR GROOMING IN GATESHEAD
In May 2021, Minesh Patel, a 27-year-old student from Harrow, London, was caught attempting to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex after engaging in online grooming.He believed he was communicating with a minor but was actually speaking to paedophile hunters from the group Guardians of the North, who had set up a decoy profile using the pseudonym Laurie.
Patel was confronted at Gateshead Metro Station while he was on his way to meet the supposed minor at the nearby interchange.
During the encounter, footage captured Patel repeatedly pleading, saying 'please sir,' and claiming he had a 'good past' in India and was 'new' to the UK as a student.
When told his studies in the country were over, he responded: 'I can work for you for free.' A group member responded sharply, 'No, you cannot work for us for free.
Not at all,' while another expressed disbelief at his remark.
Prosecutor Tom Mitchell explained that Kay Bell from Guardians of the North had set up a decoy profile named Laurie, claiming to be a 14-year-old girl.
On February 4, 2020, the defendant contacted this profile using the username rahulpatel26 on a dating website, then sent a WhatsApp message shortly after.
He asked for photos, discussed kissing and sex, and shared his location in Middlesbrough.
On February 9, Patel asked if the girl liked sex, claimed it was good for health, and inquired about her clothing and underwear.
Despite being refused pictures, he persistently asked and also requested money to travel to her in Chester-le-Street, Durham—though she explained she had none because she was only 14.
Eventually, they agreed to meet at Gateshead Metro Station on February 19.
Patel arrived by bus and was recognized from the decoy photos.
Initially denying the intent to meet an underage girl for sex, he later admitted his actions, pleading, 'I’m sorry, I will not do it again let me go.' Judge Robert Adams sentenced Patel to 28 months in prison, stating, 'You are clearly intelligent and of some ability and in the UK on a student visa doing a postgraduate programme.
You have family in this country, and your remorse reflects on them.
You believed the sites were for adults and didn’t expect children to come across on them, but you were told by the decoy Laurie that you were communicating with a 14-year-old.' The court also imposed a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered Patel to sign the sex offender's register.
