Used a dating app to message two girls, ages 12 and 14.

Carl Mardel, a man with no fixed address, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for attempting to meet a minor for sex after using a dating app to message two decoy profiles set up by a pedophile hunter group.

Mardel, who has a history of sexual offenses, including a 2000 conviction for raping a 15-year-old girl, used the dating app to contact profiles claiming to be a 12-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl.

He sent sexually explicit messages to both profiles, engaging in conversations of a sexual nature and attempting to arrange a meeting with the 14-year-old in a Wakefield parking lot. Unbeknownst to Mardel, the profiles were operated by a pedophile hunter group, who alerted the police.

Mardel was arrested on October 20th, 2023, and later pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to date a girl under the age of 16 and two counts of sexual communication with children.

During his arrest, Mardel expressed remorse, stating, "I can't believe I was that stupid. I ruined my life and that of my wife and daughter."

The court heard how Mardel was determined to address his "offensive behavior" and was committed to using his sentence wisely. He was issued a Sexual Violence Prevention Order and will remain on the sex offender registry for life.

DS Ben Howley of the Kirklees Police Online Investigation Team praised the sentence, stating that Mardel "is a committed sex offender and we welcome the judgment handed down by the court today." He emphasized that online child sex offenses are taken seriously by West Yorkshire Police and will be thoroughly investigated.