Man arranged to meet 12-year-old girl for sex but her family turned up instead
A 19-year-old pervert messaged a 12-year-old girl’s phone saying: “Are you good at blow jobs?” and arranged to meet her but was met by members of her family.
The messages came to light after the girl came home from school crying.
Joel Roberts, 19, of Cardiff, began messaging the young girl on social media after meeting her in person. The messages were discovered by the girl’s family after they took possession of her phone.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard the family members continued to message Roberts, pretending to be the victim, in order to get more information. They discovered a picture of the victim in her bra, which she had sent to the defendant.
During the messages Roberts asked someone he thought was the 12-year-old: “Are you good at blow jobs?”.
He arranged to meet her and messaged: “I expect a kiss from you” and: “Don’t wear jeans”. The family members attempted to screenshot the message but he later deleted them.
Prosecutor Tim Evans said: “He was plainly trying to meet up with her not knowing it was her family at the other end of the conversations.” Upon attending the meeting in Western Avenue, Cardiff, Roberts saw the victim’s family members and ran away.
He was arrested and in his police interview he claimed he had never spoken to the victim over messages and answered no comment.
Roberts, of Beechley Drive, Fairwater, later pleaded guilty to attempting to commit a sexual offence and attempting to communicate with a child.
Recorder of Cardiff Tracey Lloyd-Clarke sentenced Roberts to 10 months imprisonment suspended for two years.
She ordered him to undergo the Horizon programme and made him subject to a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement, 80 hours unpaid work, and a six-month curfew between 8pm and 6am.
He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements for 10 years and a sexual harm prevention order for five years.
