Pervert thought he was having sex chat with child but it was his wife's hairdresser.

Jacob Smith, a resident of Whickham, engaged in sexually explicit online communication with what he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. However, the profile was a decoy operated by a woman who ironically, cuts Smith's wife's hair.

In September 2019, Smith, using the alias "4trans," initiated contact with the fake profile on the Grindr app. He engaged in explicit discussions about sex with the "girl," stating his desire to take her virginity and encouraging her to skip school.

The fake teen profile was created by the "Guardians of the North," a vigilante group dedicated to catching online predators. The decoy claimed to be a girl who identified as a boy, a detail that Smith believed to be true.

The twist in this tale is that the person behind the decoy profile was Smith's wife's hairdresser, who recognized him immediately when he sent a photo of himself. By a strange coincidence, the hairdresser knew Smith and his family.

Smith, initially denying the charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, claimed he knew the hairdresser was behind the profile and sent the messages for "amusement" during a time when he wasn't thinking clearly.

However, a jury found Smith guilty of the charge, and he was sentenced to eight months in prison. He must also register as a sex offender and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

Recorder Alex Menary, acknowledging Smith's depression due to work stress and personal problems, stated that only imprisonment could deliver an adequate punishment. He highlighted the irony of the situation, saying, "By a twist of fate the decoy was your wife's hairdresser. When you sent pictures of yourself she recognized you. On learning you were in London on business she contacted the police. You made no comment when arrested."

Smith attempted to defend his actions, claiming he knew the hairdresser was behind the profile and was simply seeking entertainment and distraction. He also alleged that he was "ill" at the time and his actions were a "cry for help."

The court acknowledged Smith's illness and the subsequent treatment he received. However, the consequences of his actions were significant, including the sale of his family home and his separation from his family.

Philip Gibbs, Smith's defense attorney, stated, "He was ill, to quite a considerable degree. It wasn't a short lived or trivial illness, it was a gathering storm. He accepts the process and the verdict of the jury because that is justice."