Attempted to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Man Jailed for 32 Months After Attempting to Groom Child Online

A 36-year-old man, identified as Hudson, has been sentenced to 32 months in prison for attempting to groom a child online. The incident occurred in June of this year when Hudson attempted to arrange a meeting with a 13-year-old girl, who was actually a decoy from an online paedophile hunting group.

Following his arrest, East Durham CID officers immediately launched an investigation, working a 15-hour shift to gather sufficient evidence to charge Hudson with child sex offences. Hudson, residing in Horden, was charged with attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

He pleaded guilty to both charges and appeared at Durham Crown Court on Monday, September 4th. The court sentenced Hudson to 32 months imprisonment. Additionally, he was issued with a sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offender register for life.

Detective Inspector Darren Wild, from East Durham CID, stated, "Hudson knew from the outset that he was talking to what he thought was a 13-year-old girl and immediately set about grooming her for his own sexual gratification." He added, "He is clearly a danger to children, so I am pleased he has been sentenced to time behind bars. I would like to pass on my appreciation to everyone involved in this investigation, in particular those officers who worked solidly from 8am to midnight to ensure Hudson was quickly charged, remanded and put before the courts, protecting further children from harm."