Man caught talking to 14 year old who turned out to be police officer
A pervert was stung having sex chat with an undercover police officer who pretended to be a 14-year-old.
Aaron Anderson thought he was in dialogue with a teen but was actually being set up by a law enforcement officer who was running a fake profile on a gay dating app called Hornet.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the conversation moved from there to WhatsApp where the 51-year-old sent sexualised messages, pictures, and videos in March last year.
Prosecutor Omar Ahmad said the profile of the youth made it clear they were 14-years-of-age during their chats, and had sent an image of a child wearing school uniform, after initially giving their age as 19 on the app.
Anderson, who said he was from Newcastle, discussed meeting up with the teen and asked what he was into sexually.
Mr Ahmad said: "Clearly concerned at where the conversation was going, the defendant asked 'you're not a trap are you?'"
The court heard he later went on to send a video of him having sex.
Anderson, of Greenlaw, West Denton, Newcastle, who has 11 previous convictions for 17 offences, pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and attempting to engage in sexual communication.
Judge Robert Spragg said there was 'grooming-style behaviour' and sentenced him to 18 months suspended for two years.
Calum McNicholas, defending, said: "What we are dealing with here in my submission is someone who has demonstrated quite a rare degree of remorse and a rare degree of commitment to rehabilitation."
Mr McNicholas added he was working with the 'Stop it Now' programme ran by the Lucy Faithful Foundation to help prevention of similar offending.
He said: "Usually people on that course have to fund it themselves and it costs £860 but such as the dedication Mr Anderson has demonstrated to that organisation, they have offered to pay for it themselves.
"He has been given that opportunity by them and he is taking it. This is somebody not just waiting for help but taking matters into his own hands."
Mr McNicholas added Anderson also has support in his community.
Anderson will be made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for a decade.
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