LAUGHARNE MAN CAUGHT IN HOTEL STING AFTER TRYING TO MEET GIRL, 13
A LAUGHARNE man who believed he was meeting a thirteen-year-old girl at a Carmarthenshire hotel was confronted by paedophile hunters and later sentenced at Swansea Crown Court.William John Williams, fifty-nine, had been communicating online with what he thought was a schoolgirl.
The profile was in fact a decoy set up by a vigilante group.
When he arrived at the Travelodge St Clears, members of the group were waiting and contacted police, providing screenshots of his messages.
Williams first made contact with the fake Facebook profile in October 2021, with the supposed age of thirteen clear from the outset.
Despite this, he sent sexual messages, spoke about masturbating, requested photographs, told the 'girl' his penis was erect, and sent topless photographs of himself.
He urged the account holder to delete the messages, acknowledging he knew he should not be sending them because of her age.
Williams pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
He had no previous convictions.
The court sentenced him to twelve months’ imprisonment, suspended for twelve months, ordered him to complete a rehabilitation programme, placed on the sex offenders register for ten years, and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period.
