TERRENCE JENKINS CAUGHT IN MAERDY MEETING PLOT WITH FAKE 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL

In September 2019, a man from Maerdy, Rhondda, named Terrence Jenkins, found himself at the center of a serious criminal case involving attempted sexual grooming and meeting a minor. Jenkins, aged 50, had been actively engaging in online conversations with what he believed was a 13-year-old girl he had met on social media platforms. Unbeknownst to him, the profile he was communicating with was a decoy created by a vigilant group of paedophile hunters aiming to catch individuals attempting to exploit minors.

Over the course of the week leading up to his arrest, Jenkins had been grooming what he thought was a young girl, exchanging increasingly explicit messages. Despite being aware of her young age, Jenkins's messages quickly turned sexualized. He sent intimate photographs to the girl, requested she reciprocate with similar images, and discussed various sexual acts he intended to perform. His conversations included warnings for her not to tell her family about their chats, and he even arranged a meeting at a McDonald's car park, instructing her to bring condoms and telling her, “You won’t be a virgin tomorrow.”

However, the entire scenario was a trap. The profile Jenkins was communicating with was created by members of the Elusive Child Protection Unit, who had set up Facebook and Badoo accounts with an age-appropriate photograph to lure potential offenders. The authorities had been monitoring the situation and had warned Jenkins about the fake profile.

On July 17, Jenkins made contact with the decoy account, and three days later, he traveled to the designated meeting spot. When he arrived at the agreed location, he was met by members of the paedophile hunting group, who confronted him. The police were called to the scene, and Jenkins was promptly arrested.

During court proceedings at Swansea Crown Court, Jenkins admitted to attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and attempting to meet a minor after sexual grooming. The court heard that Jenkins had created accounts on Facebook and Badoo, which were part of the operation by the Child Protection Unit, to facilitate his illicit intentions.

Judge Geraint Walters sentenced Jenkins to a total of 14 months in prison. Additionally, Jenkins was placed under a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and will be registered on the sex offenders’ register for the same duration. The judge described Jenkins’s actions as deeply disturbing, emphasizing that he believed Jenkins had groomed what he thought was a young girl with the intent to carry out sexual acts. Judge Walters stated, “I have not a shadow of a doubt that had this been an actual 13-year-old girl, you would have carried out what you said you wanted.”

The judge also highlighted that cases like Jenkins’s are becoming alarmingly common and stressed the importance of sending a clear message: individuals involved in such activities will be identified, prosecuted, and imprisoned to protect children from exploitation.