Predator who arranged to meet an underage teen for sex.

Predator Sentenced After Attempting to Meet Underage Teen for Sex

A predator who arranged to meet an underage teen for sex has been sentenced following a joint investigation by North East police.

Joseph Lee, 46, traveled to Framwellgate Moor to meet a 15-year-old girl he had arranged to have sex with online. Unbeknownst to him, officers from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) and Durham Constabulary were waiting to arrest him.

NEROCU detectives collaborated with officers from Durham Constabulary's Online Child Abuse Investigator Team to carry out the operation on April 26, 2022. This successful partnership ensured that Lee is no longer a danger to children.

When questioned, Lee, of Drum Lane, Chester-le-Street, offered no explanation for his actions and did not plead guilty. However, the extensive evidence file compiled by officers resulted in a jury finding Lee guilty of Arranging/Facilitating the Commission of a Child Sex Offence on October 27, 2023, at Durham Crown Court.

Today, Lee appeared at the same court and was sentenced to four years imprisonment. He was also given a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be placed on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely.