SANJAY DHOLAKIA CAUGHT IN WELLINGBOROUGH ONLINE SEX STING

In October 2019, a disturbing case emerged involving Sanjay Dholakia, a 52-year-old resident of Wellingborough, who became the subject of a serious criminal investigation after attempting to engage in sexual activity with what he believed was a 13-year-old girl. The incident unfolded through an online chatroom, where Dholakia used the pseudonym 'boredhubby6707' to initiate contact.

According to court proceedings held at Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday, October 22, the defendant began communicating with a user named Gemma, claiming to be 51 years old. Over the course of two months, Dholakia and the undercover officer, posing as Gemma, exchanged numerous messages across various platforms, including the chatroom, text messages, and WhatsApp. It was during these exchanges that the conversation took a disturbing turn, with Dholakia making explicit sexual inquiries and propositions.

Prosecutor Christopher Jeyes detailed that Gemma repeatedly stated she was only 13 years old, a fact Dholakia appeared to dismiss as part of their banter. The messages grew increasingly sexual, with Dholakia asking if she liked older men, whether she would like to meet him in person, and if she was interested in engaging in sexual acts. He even suggested that their encounters could involve his wife or her mother and asked her to call him while he performed a sex act. On December 14, the conversation escalated to discussing a potential meeting at a hotel.

Members of Dholakia’s family sat in court with their heads in their hands as the details of his actions were read aloud. The communication ended after Dholakia asked Gemma again about her age, to which she responded, “13 lol I have told you a million times.” When questioned by police, Dholakia admitted to attempting to incite a child into sexual activity but downplayed his actions, claiming it was “banter that probably got out of hand.”

He was arrested at the scene, and during police questioning, he continued to minimize his conduct. The court was told that Dholakia had been dismissed from his job at a stationery company following the incident. Judge Rupert Mayo, presiding over the case, made it clear that he did not accept Dholakia’s claim that his actions were merely banter, emphasizing the seriousness of the offense. However, the judge chose to impose a suspended sentence, citing the fact that no actual arrangements were made to meet the supposed victim.

As a result, Dholakia was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months. He is also required to participate in 25 days of rehabilitation programs and complete 80 hours of unpaid community work. Additionally, he will be registered as a sex offender for the next ten years and subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration, reflecting the court’s efforts to monitor and prevent future offending.