Record details
A pervert was snared by paedophile hunters after thinking he was meeting a 15-year-old for sexual activity.
William Orr was caught on camera by Dark Justice attempting to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old boy after midnight.
The 55-year-old believed he was talking to a teenager called Tom in a gay online chat room, but the fake profile had been set up by the group.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how Orr contacted Tom and told him he was 43, from South Shields, and called Liam.
Dark Justice, acting as Tom, told Orr he was a 15-year-old male and despite this the defendant continued the conversation.
Patrizia Doherty told the court how the conversation lasted for 15 minutes before Orr started to communicate with him using the chat application KIK.
She said he sent across photographs of himself in boxer shorts and performing a sex act.
"He asked to meet up with Tom despite being reminded several times that Tom was only 15-years-old," she said.
"The defendant suggested that him and Tom met up in a car park near Newcastle College in Elswick.
"The defendant arrived driving a grey saloon, he approached Dark Justice and said 'nice trackie bottoms'.
"He introduced himself as being part of Dark Justice to which the defendant said 'are you f**k'.
"The defendant walked to his car and sped off."
Dark Justice took Orr's registration number following the meeting on June 28 this year and informed the police.
Orr was arrested by Essex police, on behalf of Northumbria Police, while driving to Stanstead Airport.
Ms Doherty said: "He was trying to get away.
"The defendant said to Tom 'do you have a big c**k and I can make you very happy'.
"There was some grooming behaviour used against the victim and significant disparity in age.
"He said he was 43 knowing full well Tom was 15. He was 54 at the time."
Orr, of South Shields, admitted attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
The court heard how Orr has a previous conviction for outraging public decency in 2013 after he was caught carrying out a sex act on Seaburn Beach by a group of teenage boys.
David Callan, defending, told the court how Orr lost both his wife and his son.
He said: "The defendant married a wife called Linda when he was very young and had three children.
"She died when she was 25 in his arms of lung cancer.
"He had a normal sexual relationship with her. Since then he's found it very difficult to be in an intimate relationship with a woman.
"He has been confused about his sexuality. He thinks he's not bisexual but rather homosexual at this stage. He's found therapy extremely helpful.
"He lost his wife leaving him with three children to bring up on his own while working.
"His child Damien was killed in Afghanistan in 2009 while fighting for his country. He's still not got over that death."
Judge Penny Moreland told Orr: "Tom told you he was 15. You continued to talk with him and then on the KIK application.
"By 11 o'clock you had suggested to him the two of you meet and by 20 past midnight you had travelled to the car park near Newcastle College where you found there was no such person as Tom."
Judge Moreland sentenced Orr to six months in prison suspended for two years.
She also ordered Orr to sign the sex offenders register for seven years, undergo a 40 day rehabilitation activity requirement and attend a sex offenders programme.
