Pendeford 'paedophile hunter' sentenced after sending man she believed to be a 'predator' sordid child abuse messages
A Pendeford "paedophile hunter" who claimed she sent sordid messages about child abuse as sexual bait to entrap a 'predator' online has escaped a jail sentence.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to publishing an article of an obscene nature, which has a maximum sentence of five years, on the day of her trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
The court heard the woman, who is in her 20s, sent graphic messages enticing a man to engage in child abuse on social media in March last year.
She also sent naked pictures of herself during her correspondence with the man. He claimed to be distressed by the nature of the messages and reported her to the police, who arrested her on March 6, last year.
She was charged with the publication of an obscene article contrary to the 1959 Obscene Publication Act due to the sordid nature of the messages she had sent the man.
She pleaded not guilty in Wolverhampton Magistrates Court in March last year and was set for a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court this summer, but on the first day of trial switched her plea to guilty.
In mitigation, Mr Ian Suggett said: "This defendant was herself a victim of grooming and sexual abuse.
"Her abusers were not brought to justice despite the police investigating the matter. This left her with a sense of injustice."
He added: "Around the 10th anniversary of her own abuse she saw the profile of a man on social media which she felt had all the hallmarks of a predator and she felt she could get the justice for others which she never received herself.
"Her sole desire in sending these messages to the man was to trap him. The graphic nature of these messages and images she sent was, according to her, needed to get the man arrested.
"However, he reported her to the police and she was arrested before she could report him to the police. She pleaded guilty on the day of her trial and has told me she is remorseful for her actions."
Judge Robert Talog-Davies told the defendant he was not sentencing her to prison despite the five-year maximum sentence for her offence.
He said: "The recipient was entirely willing if not encouraging these messages, he was already degraded and these images would not have added to this.
"There was no commercial motive, but I'm not sure you were paedophile hunting and your actions could be a combination of fantasy or attention-seeking or the confrontation of your past."
He added: "I am satisfied you were not going to expose any children to any harm.
"You have shown remorse and you pleaded guilty before trial."
He added: "I impose a 12-month community order, with 30 rehabilitation days and a mental health order for 12 months."
