Locations
Crawcrook, Gateshead & Newcastle
Description
Pervert Andrew Parsons was snared by paedophile hunters after turning up to a "secret" meeting with an underage boy.
The 51-year-old chatted to a "boy" called James on gay dating app Grindr, not realising it was a decoy profile set up by Dark Justice.
Despite being told James was only 15 and a virgin, Parsons asked if he was "discreet" after describing in detail the sexual acts they could do together.
When a meeting was arranged Parsons said it should be "kept a secret".
Prosecutor Lee Fish told Newcastle Crown Court: "The defendant asked if anyone knew that James was coming to his house and he said no.
"What then happened was members of Dark Justice and the police went to the agreed meeting point and the defendant was arrested."
Parsons admitted attempting to meet a child following grooming, in April 2017.
The court heard he has a previous conviction for sexual activity in a public lavatory.
Judge Robert Adams sentenced Parsons to 18 months behind bars. and imposed a sexual harm prevention order and told him he must sign the sex offenders register, both for ten years.
The judge told him: "James said he was a virgin and had never done this before.
"This did not deter you.
"You gave him your contact details, where you lived, well aware what you were doing was wrong.
"You asked if he was discreet and could keep a secret."
The court heard Parsons claimed he had "turned a blind eye" to the boy's age and was "disgusted" by child sex abuse.
Judge Adams added: "No sexual activity with a child did occur or in fact could have occurred. No child existed, it was a decoy.
"This is a sentence which cannot be appropriately suspended, although non-custodial options are available, it seems to me there has to be some form of deterrent in cases like this, where people take risks, not expecting to be caught.
"Had this person been a child, significant harm could have been caused."