Description
A paedophile who was on bail for trying to meet a 'schoolboy' for sex was later caught grooming another 'child', a court heard.
Andrew McClean, from Southport, sent messages to what he believed was a 13-year-old and arranged to have sex with him in a public toilet near Southport station. The 39-year-old was in fact communicating with an adult member of a local ‘paedophile hunters’ group who was using an online decoy.
On February 15 this year, McLean arrived at the station with the intention of meeting the boy. However he was instead met by members of the group who alerted police.
McLean told them: “I confess I was in the wrong and I accept the punishment.”
But three months later, after being released on bail, he once again began sending online messages of a sexual nature to what he believed was another 13-year-old boy, and arranged to meet him at Formby station on May 18, the ECHO reports.
Again, he was met with members of the paedophile hunters group, who had created the decoy profile as part of an “online child protection effort to apprehend child sex offenders”.
He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday (October 4) after pleading guilty to arranging a child sex offence, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and attempting to meet a child following grooming.
Judge Louise Brandon said: "While these cases are attempts, they are only attempts because the child in question did not actually exist. Had Josh been a real child, the offences would have been committed."
The court heard that McClean was developmentally disabled, and did not understand the consequences of his actions.
However, experts agreed that his disability did not impact his ability to make decisions or understand right from wrong.
Judge Brandon said: "You have been described as vulnerable and you have a limited understanding of intercourse, and in your offending you made no attempt to hide your identity. But you knew what you were doing, and you knew that what you were doing was wrong."
McClean was sentenced to three years in prison, and must serve half of this term before being released on licence. He was also subject to a sexual harm prevention order.