Jarrod Hofmann, a 23-year-old from Brockworth, Gloucestershire, was sentenced to a three-year community order after pleading guilty to attempting to incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity.

Hofmann's offenses stemmed from interactions with a decoy profile on the social media platform Wink, created by the paedophile-hunting group Child Online Safety Team (COST). Believing he was communicating with a 14-year-old girl named "Mollie," Hofmann engaged in sexually explicit conversations and attempted to arrange a meeting.

The court heard that Hofmann, who worked for National Express at the time, felt isolated and lonely. He expressed remorse for his actions, stating that he had no sexual interest in children but was drawn into the situation when it presented itself.

Judge Nathan Adams acknowledged Hofmann's lack of previous convictions and his expressions of remorse while emphasizing the seriousness of his offenses. The judge imposed a three-year community order, requiring Hofmann to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, attend 40 rehabilitation activity days, and participate in 40 sessions of an accredited program.

Hofmann was also subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order prohibiting unsupervised contact with children under 18 and placed on the sex offender register for ten years.