Locations
Green's Place, South Shields, Tyne And Wear, NE33
Description
James Roberts, of South Shields, thought he was talking to a schoolgirl but it was actually an undercover police officer
A perverted pensioner who wanted a 14-year-old girl to go his home and offered to "train" her how to have sex has been jailed.
James Roberts, 70, began chatting to what he believed was a schoolgirl online and told her he didn't mind her age if she didn't mind his, which he said was 65.
The profile was actually an undercover police officer but Roberts thought he was talking to a child.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Roberts initially communicated with the profile on a chat app and then it moved to WhatsApp.
He told her he was at home all day drinking beer and she was welcome to join him and told her he lived near South Shields Metro station and could meet her there.
The conversation progressed to him asking about her sexual experience and he said they could have sex if she wanted to.
An arrangement was made to meet the following week and Roberts told her: "You won't tell anyone," adding a winking emoji.
He went on to ask if he would need to wear a condom and said he would get some just in case.
Andrew Finlay, prosecuting, said: "He said she was the youngest he had been with.
"They discussed what she was going to wear. He said he wanted her to wear a skirt.
"He asked if she was a virgin and she said she tried but it didn't really work and he said 'I will take it for you'.
"He then asked if she wanted him to train her."
Roberts also told what he thought to be a child that he watched pornography and how big his penis was, saying he would be gentle with her when they had sex.
After being sent a picture purporting to be her, he said she was beautiful and that he was thinking of her naked.
The conversation developed and he asked how big her breasts were and described things he wanted to do.
When she expressed uncertainty about meeting, he encouraged her.
On November 12 2020, he turned up to meet her at South Shields Metro and was arrested by police.
Roberts, of Green Place, South Shields, pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.
Judge Robert Spragg jailed him for 30 months and told him he must sign the sex offenders register indefinitely and he will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.
The court heard he has been married three times and has children he doesn't see and was "lonely and isolated" and was drinking at the time of the offences.
Robin Turton, defending, said: "This was a regular chat site and she made the first move.
"He was flattered and surprised she wanted to have a conversation with him given the age disparity."
The court heard he has a number of health problems including arthritis and COPD.
Roberts has 58 previous convictions but nothing for sex offences and his last conviction was in 1995 for drugs offending, for which he was jailed for 30 months.