Sexual conversation with whom he believed was a 14-year-old girl and arranged to meet her.

Online Paedophile Predator Jailed After Attempting to Meet '14-Year-Old Girl'

A Sheffield Crown Court heard how Mark Hargreaves, 34, was sentenced to 12 months in prison after he engaged in sexually explicit conversations with what he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, arranging to meet her. However, the profile was a fake, operated by members of the public aiming to catch paedophiles.

Prosecutor Nicola Quinney detailed how Hargreaves expressed his desire for a sexual relationship with the "girl" when she was older, stating he would teach her. He also sent a picture of a penis claiming it to be his.

Hargreaves arranged to meet at Barnsley bus station but did not show up. The group running the fake profile then visited his home and alerted the police.

Judge Peter Kelson QC addressed Hargreaves, stating: "Against that background, you as a predator prowling the internet looking for underage girls - found her and you quickly turned conversational matters sexual."

Hargreaves, of Emblem Terrace, Wakefield, with no prior convictions, admitted to attempting to communicate sexually with a child between September 2019 and February 2020.

Defense attorney Richard Canning pleaded for a rehabilitative sentence, stating: "This was a wake-up call for him and he has turned his life around and made some very positive steps and I ask your honour to allow him to continue down the right path."

However, Judge Kelson deemed a suspended prison sentence inappropriate for an adult actively seeking out young children online, ultimately sentencing Hargreaves to 12 months of custody.