Locations
Heol Eifion Wyn, Llansamlet, Swansea, SA7 9TN
Description
Youth group volunteer Aaron Davies said he wanted to show the 13-year-old girl how babies are made
A 19-year-old steward sent hundreds of explicit sexual messages and intimate photographs to what he thought was a young girl.
Aaron Davies contacted what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl on Facebook and after weeks of grooming her they arranged to meet.
But when he got to the bus station expecting to meet his online contact he was challenged and detained by a group of so-called paedophile hunters.
Swansea Crown Court heard a group called Justice 4 Kids established a profile purporting to be that of a 13-year-old girl, complete with an age-appropriate photograph, online.
Claire Pickthall, prosecuting, said the profile lay dormant until in February this year when Davies sent a friend request. This was the start of almost two months of communications between the parties.
The barrister said Davies' messages soon became sexual in nature with the defendant asking intimate questions of the decoy, encouraging her to perform sex acts, and asking her to send pictrues. Davies, from Swansea , also sent the decoy two pictures of his genitals.
The court heard Davies told the "girl" she should watch pornography so she could learn what to do sexually, told her he loved her, and said he wanted to go to Disneyland Paris with her. He also said he wanted to kiss and touch her and show her how babies are made.
The prosecutor said in many of the replies by the decoy it was made clear the profile was that of a 13-year-old.
In total the defendant sent more than 200 messages. Miss Pickthall described Davies' conduct as "classic grooming behaviour".
The court heard the pair made arrangements to go to the cinema in Swansea on April 18 and at that point Justice 4 Kids contacted local paedophile hunters and handed them the information.
When the defendant arrived at the city's main bus station expecting to meet the girl he was met by activists who called the police and took him outside.
In his subsequent interview he said he was used to being around children because he was a steward at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea and also volunteered with a youth group.
He said his aim had been to "educate and guide" the girl about what was coming as she grew up.
Davies, of Heol Eifion Wyn, Llansamlet , had previously pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a girl after sexual communication and attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity when he appeared in the dock for sentencing on Friday. He has no previous convictions.
Stephen Thomas, for Davies, said his client was very sorry for what he had done.
Giving Davies a one-third discount for his guilty pleas judge Keith Thomas sentenced the defendant to a total of 12 months detention in a young offenders institution. He will serve half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
Davies was also made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order to control his contact with children and his access to the internet and he will be a registered sex offender for the same length of time.