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A “lonely” young man working in the North East, well away from home, sought companionship via a social media dating and friends site for adults, a court heard.
But when Jarrod Hofmann’s post on Wink was responded to by someone claiming to be a 14-year-old girl, he made the misguided error of continuing the conversation, soon moving on to sexual matters.
Durham Crown Court was told Hofmann was unaware, however, that the person purporting to be 14-year-old “Mollie” was, in fact, a decoy profile put up by the paedophile-hunting Child Online Safety Team (COST).
Elisha Marsay, prosecuting, told the court that Hoffman, aged 21 at the time, soon suggested switching the conversation onto WhatsApp.
Over the course of the following 18 days, in March last year, he repeatedly tried to persuade ‘Mollie’ to send him intimate images of herself and told her he would instruct her how to perform a sex act upon herself.
Miss Marsay said the defendant also discussed meeting ‘Mollie’, making travel arrangements so she could spend a night with him.
Members of COST confronted Hoffman at his home, at the time, in Annfield Plain, near Stanley, on March 26, 2023, and police were summoned to the address to arrest the defendant, who was found sitting on the stairs while the paedophile hunters waited at the door.
Following his arrest, Hofmann made no comment in police interviews in March and August last year.
But, by the time the case came before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe, on September 3 this year, the 23-year-old defendant, now living back with his family in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, pleaded guilty to all four charges put to him.
He admitted attempting to incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to possess an indecent image of a child, attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming.
The offences were all classed as “attempts” as no actual child was involved, unknown to Hofmann.
Stephen Ferns, in mitigation, said the defendant, who has no previous convictions, was, at the time of the offences, working for National Express based in the North East and felt, “lonely and isolated”.
Mr Ferns said Hofmann was not “actively seeking” a relationship with an underage girl, and accessed an adult site, "seeking a relationship with an adult".
He said the opportunity of it being a child then, “presented itself”.
“He fully accepts knowing the age and continuing the conversation on WhatsApp.
“He was isolated and lonely and had recently moved to a new area and had not had a relationship for four years.
“He had not set out looking for a relationship with a child, but he fully accepts he pursued it when it was presented to him.
“He told the Probation Service he has no sexual interest in children, but it was the case that he became interested in this female when the situation presented itself and he did then have a sexual interest in this child.
“What he told the probation report author was said out of fear, shame and confusion.”
Mr Ferns said the defendant now accepts he needs to address his unhealthy interest.
The lawyer said, following his arrest, Hofmann lost his employment with National Express and moved back to his family home in Gloucestershire.
He has since found new employment, working initially in the haulage industry as a driver.
Mr Ferns said if the defendant was given the opportunity of a non-custodial sentence, he could work with the Probation Service to continue his rehabilitation.
Judge Nathan Adams said, having, “carefully considered” the sentence he should pass, that he was just persuaded to step back from passing an immediate prison sentence.
The judge said, however, that imposing restrictions on the defendant to prevent a repeat of his behaviour were, “entirely necessary” in this case.
Imposing a three-year community order, as a direct alternative to prison, Judge Adams said the defendant must complete 150-hours’ unpaid work, and attend 40 rehabilitation activity days, plus 40 sessions of an accredited programme, both overseen by the Probation Service.
He was also made subject of both a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, including a prohibition on any unsupervised contact with children aged under 18, and the requirement to register as a sex offender, each to run for the next ten years.
Judge Adams told Hoffman he was “making it plain” he must comply with the orders in full and commit no further offences, or risk receiving a first term of imprisonment.
