Locations
New Village, Ingleton, Carnforth, Lancashire, LA6
Description
A ‘DANGEROUS’ sex offender from Ingleton has been jailed for four years after he was trapped by a paedophile hunter group for the second time.
Robert Twaites was given a community order in 2018 that included a condition that he took part in a specialist sex offender programme.
Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday (Monday) that he had been caught by a paedophile hunter group sending sexually explicit messages to decoys posing as girls aged 13 and 14 and trying to meet up with them.
Despite completing the Horizon Programme, he was back online in January this year trying to meet up for sexual activity with what he believed was a girl aged 13, the court heard.
Prosecutor Philip Standfast told the court that Twaites engaged in conversations with the decoy saying he liked to go on dates and offering to buy her presents.
He suggested they could ‘meet in the woods’ but after he failed to turn up, members of the paedophile hunter group confronted him at his home and contacted the police.
When officers examined his phone, they found prohibited images of children.
Twaites, 33, of New Village, Ingleton, admitted charges relating to his attempts to cause or incite a child to engage sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
Julian White, for Twaites, described his behaviour as self-destructive and said it was mind-boggling that he would continue to behave in the way he had.
“He went through the necessary rehabilitative process, but notwithstanding that, he continued to offend in an identical manner,” Mr White said.
He described Twaites as an isolated and lonely individual.
Judge Sophie McKone said that despite his denials, he had a sexual interest in children and posed a high risk of serious harm to them.
Although no real child was involved, if there had been he would have gone through with the intended abuse.
Judge McKone jailed Twaites for four years and added an extra two years’ licence because he was a dangerous offender.
He will only be released by the Parole Board after serving two-thirds of his jail term if they decide it is safe to do so.
Twaites will also have to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life and he must comply with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.