Birmingham 2023-03-05

Simon Burrin 43

Convicted sex offender arranged to meet a 'decoy' 14-year-old boy after having sex chats on a gay dating app.

Profile Picture
Offender ID: O-3472

Locations

Court Lane, Erdington, Birmingham, B23

Description

A convicted sex offender arranged to meet a 14-year-old boy at a train station in Birmingham after sending him naked photos. But the teenager turned out to be a "decoy" created by a paedophile hunters group.

Joshua Purser, prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court, said a member of a paedophile vigilante group set up a fake profile on a gay dating app of a 14-year-old boy and on September 24 last year the decoy started to receive messages from Simon Burrin. In the first exchange the 'teenager' told the defendant his age and that he was "checking the app out" but the defendant responded by asking him for his phone number and saying his name was Simon.

The conversations then moved on to Whatsapp with Burrin sending naked pictures of himself to the decoy. During the conversations the defendant said he would like to undress the teenager and suggested they could meet and stay at a hotel in Winchester.

A convicted sex offender arranged to meet a 14-year-old boy at a train station in Birmingham after sending him naked photos. But the teenager turned out to be a "decoy" created by a paedophile hunters group.

Joshua Purser, prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court, said a member of a paedophile vigilante group set up a fake profile on a gay dating app of a 14-year-old boy and on September 24 last year the decoy started to receive messages from Simon Burrin. In the first exchange the 'teenager' told the defendant his age and that he was "checking the app out" but the defendant responded by asking him for his phone number and saying his name was Simon.

The conversations then moved on to Whatsapp with Burrin sending naked pictures of himself to the decoy. During the conversations the defendant said he would like to undress the teenager and suggested they could meet and stay at a hotel in Winchester.

Burrin was interviewed and said that it was "wrong to speak to kids again" and that he needed help. The court heard that he had a number of previous convictions and in June 2020 was sentenced to two years and four months after he had allowed a 14-year-old boy, he had met on a gay dating site, to stay with him.

Burrin, 42, of Court Lane, Erdington, who had previously admitted attempted sexual communication with a child, attempting to meet a child and breach of a sexual harm prevention order, was jailed for four years and eight months.

Judge Simon Drew KC said: "It seems to me that your principle purpose of making contact with that child was to engage in sexual activity." He described his behaviour as "extremely dangerous" and extended the period he would remain on licence by four years.

Amrisha Parathalingam, defending, said: "He wants to address this sort of behaviour. His biggest problem is the internet."

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