Birmingham Soldier Jailed for Grooming

A Birmingham soldier who planned to meet an underage girl for sex has been jailed for two years after being caught by a self-styled paedophile hater.

Craftsman Sam Dallow, 25, believed he was exchanging explicit messages with a 14-year-old girl. However, after arranging a meeting, he was confronted by campaigner Shane Brannigan at a railway station car park.

Footage of the encounter was broadcast online, and details of the messages were shared with police. Dallow, a member of the 6th Battalion The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, was sentenced to two years in prison and placed on the sex offenders register for ten years at Winchester Crown Court on Thursday.

He had previously admitted attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

The judge, sentencing Dallow, stated that despite communicating with a fictional persona, his persistent and reckless behavior towards children demonstrated predatory intent.

Dallow was ensnared by Mr. Brannigan, who runs a Facebook page called Shaneannigans Nonce Haters Association, at an arranged meeting at Andover railway station in Hampshire on April 11.

Video of the confrontation showed Dallow being confronted in a car, claiming he was waiting for a friend named Emma. He identified himself as Sam and confirmed he was from Birmingham.

Dallow was then presented with an image and admitted sending it was a mistake. Further exchanges were read to him before a police officer arrived.

Following the sentencing, children's charity the NSPCC labeled Dallow's actions disgusting and called on social media companies to prioritize child safety.

A spokesperson stated: "Although the target of his disgusting advances was fictitious, Dallow's grooming behavior is a stark reminder of the risks children and young people face online. Parents and carers have a key role to play and must talk to their children about online safety."

The NSPCC's Net Aware website provides tips on initiating these conversations and offers guidance on popular social networks, apps, and games.

The NSPCC also advocated for social media platforms to enhance child protection measures by providing safer accounts with default privacy settings and mechanisms to prevent grooming.

The Army previously indicated they would consider disciplinary action against Dallow following sentencing.