Paedophile hunter group trapped Sheffield pervert

Sheffield Crown Court heard on July 21 how David Thomas, aged 47, of Stradbroke Road, Sheffield, struck up an online conversation with the decoy on a social media platform which became sexual.

Prosecuting barrister Kevin Jones said a member of the paedophile hunter group Cobra UK acted as a decoy calling herself Ruby and claiming to be 13-years-old during conversations with the defendant.

Mr Jones added that Thomas told the decoy he was sexually-starved and he sent pictures and a video of his genitals and discussed having sex suggesting the decoy could take a morning-after contraceptive pill so they would not have to use a condom.

Judge Rachael Harrison told Thomas: “This was a decoy pretending to be a 13-year-old. When she said initially she was nearly 13 and then said she was 13 you might have thought you would have said to yourself, ‘how does she not know her own age?’. But not even that stopped you behaving in the way you did.”

Another member of Cobra UK made contact with Thomas as an adult and after they had a sexual chat and made an arrangement to meet at the Jurys Inn, on Eyre Street, Sheffield, where six members of the paedophile hunter group detained the defendant.

Mr Jones said they got either side of him, grabbed his arms and walked him away from the hotel and they questioned him and called the police.

Thomas, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to attempting sexual communication with a child and to attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child from February, 2019.

Edward Moss, defending, said Thomas has had to leave his marital home and he is truly ashamed of his behaviour and says he will never put anyone through this again.

Judge Harrison sentenced Thomas to a two-year community order with a sex-offender treatment programme and a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.

Thomas was also made subject to the Sex Offenders Register and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years.