Prison for pervert who groomed 13-year-old ‘girl’ that turned out to be a decoy

Christopher Rowe made contact with the profile named "Charlotte Gray" on the Twoo social media app, in February, 2021, said prosecutor Mark Aychurch.

“He complimented her, said she was pretty for her age and asked if she had done anything with lads," he told Nottingham Crown Court.

Rowe, aged 29, offered to take "her" to the seaside, called her "babe," "princess," and "munchkin" and "considered her to be a best friend," said Mr Aychurch. “This is clear evidence of grooming.”

Rowe sent the profile three images of his genitals and eight porn videos.

"He tried to video-call but that wasn't picked up because the correspondent was an adult male," Mr Aychurch said. "He encouraged her to perform a sexual act on multiple occasions and gave specific instructions. He told her it was grownup and healthy."

The decoy sent him a friendship card to induce him to give his correct address and he did.

The paedophile hunters confronted him on his doorstep in April, 2021, and he was arrested in Styrrup, near Harworth.

Laura Marshall, mitigating, said: "This has been waiting to be sentenced for 19 months. He needs to be punished for what he did. He is very ashamed of that.”

She said he has “long-standing mental health issues” and should have been receiving treatment for years, but he can’t access help because of the current case.

Rowe is currently under investigation for a separate offence, but the Crown hasn’t decided whether to charge him or not.

He told the court he wanted to be sentenced today and Judge Steven Coupland told him he would be sentenced on the basis he has stayed out of trouble.

Rowe, now of Pringle Road, Brinsworth, Rotherham, admitted attempts to engage in sexual communication with a child, incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and cause a child to look at sexual activity, in November 2021.

On Tuesday, the judge told him he poses a medium-to-high risk of re-offending and sentenced him to three years and four months.

He placed him on the sex offenders register for life and imposed a ten-year sexual harm prevention order.