September 2022

Sheffield pervert caught by pedophile hunter group

 

An online pervert has walked free from court with a suspended prison sentence after he was snared by a paedophile hunter group.

Kenneth Turner, 55, from the Manor area of ​​Sheffield, began sexual conversations online with someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl, when in fact, according to a Sheffield Crown, she was a fake profile created by a pedophile hunter group

Prosecutor James Baird told the hearing on September 2 that the defendant communicated via Facebook Messenger using a decoy set up by a pedophile hunter group called Totnes Justice, posing as a 13-year-old girl, before arranging a meeting and was arrested by police at Sheffield railway station.

Pictured is Kenneth Turner, 55, leaving Sheffield Crown Court after being sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years after he pleaded guilty to attempting to raise a child inciting sexual activity and attempting to meet a child for sexual grooming and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Judge Graham Robinson told Turner, “They found you and thank God they did and thank God Erin wasn’t a real 13-year-old.”

According to Mr. Baird, Turner’s conversations were sexual, with him asking what the profile was wearing to bed, if she wore a bra and what color her panties were, and he asking if she could touch her sexually.

Mr Baird added: “They had talked about meeting first in Chesterfield and then in Sheffield and getting a hotel where they could share a bed.

“He showed up at Sheffield train station and was recognized and detained by a member of another group called Stop.”

Turner, who has no criminal record, pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child between May and June 2020 .

Judge Robinson recognized that Turner is considered to be of low intelligence and that the offences were committed two years ago and there have been no other offences.

Judge Robinson sentenced Turner to six months’ imprisonment suspended for nine months with a rehabilitation activity requirement.

The defendant was also placed on the sex offender registry for seven years and was placed under a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.