Paedophile Jailed for Five Years After Targeting Vulnerable Girls Online

A paedophile who bragged to friends about targeting vulnerable underage girls while on bail for previous offences has been sentenced to five years in prison. Ben Dawson, 34, from Alfreton, repeatedly contacted three girls over a two-year period, attempting to engage in sexual communication and requesting explicit images and videos. Two of the girls were actually decoy profiles operated by paedophile hunters who later confronted Dawson.

Despite being on bail for earlier offences and receiving warnings about his behavior, Dawson continued to prey on young girls, attempting to meet them and telling them he wouldn't have sex until they turned 18. Recorder Adrian Reynolds, sentencing Dawson at Derby Crown Court, stated that his persistence and denial of his attraction to underage girls were concerning.

The court heard how Dawson's offending began in 2019 when he started messaging a 15-year-old girl, despite being told by a social worker that she was vulnerable. He asked for sexually explicit videos and even persuaded his nephew to unblock him on social media. He was arrested in August 2019 but continued his behavior while under investigation.

Dawson contacted a decoy profile named Ellie Stevens, posing as a 13-year-old girl, in February 2020. He sent explicit messages, made calls while touching himself, and was subsequently arrested again in April 2020. Despite being bailed, he then contacted a second decoy, Danni, posing as a 14-year-old girl, in March 2021.

Dawson bragged about his arrest and attempted to meet Danni, even sending her pornographic links to "get ideas". He was confronted by the paedophile hunter group and arrested for a third time. Andrew Fitch-Holland, defending Dawson, acknowledged the seriousness of the case but argued that his client was a "very immature man" with learning difficulties and a high degree of naivety.

Recorder Reynolds imposed a five-year prison sentence, placed Dawson on the sex offender register for life, and issued an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. Dawson pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to meet a girl under the age of 16, and attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity.