Man spared jail by ‘skin of his teeth’ after being caught in paedophile trap

A 44-YEAR-OLD man was caught by self-styled paedophile hunters when he travelled to Derby to meet an underage boy he had met over a dating app.

But when Julian Collins arrived at Midland Railway Station, the 15-yearold boy he thought was “Rob” was actually a decoy. Derby Crown Court heard the 44-year-old also sent the boy an indecent image.

But he wept tears of relief in the dock when he was told he would not be going to prison.

Handing Collins a 12-month jail term, suspended for two years, Judge Jonathan Bennett said: “You have escaped custody by the skin of your teeth. You started communicating on a legitimate website with someone who told you they were 15. You made all of the reassuring comments when the decoy indicated he was shy. You indicated to the decoy that he would enjoy it. These are extremely serious offences.”

Stephen Kemp, prosecuting, said the paedophile hunter group set up Rob’s profile on the Grindr dating app in January 2020. On January 30, that account received its first message from Collins who asked Rob how old he was.

Mr Kemp said when the profile told the defendant he was 15 and shy he replied “we can get that sorted”.

He said: “He asked the decoy if he had any pics and they sent him one of a boy who is now an adult.”

Mr Kempo said the defendant sent an indecent picture of himself, listed the types of sex he was into and then asked the decoy if he “wanted to play”.

Mr Kemp said Collins arranged to meet Rob at Derby railway station in early February but as he was waiting he was approached by two women from the group who asked him who he was waiting for. He said he was waiting for someone called Sharon, but then fled.

Mr Kemp said Collins, of Laburnum Grove, Spring Gardens, Shrewsbury, then handed himself in at St Mary’s Wharf police station.

He said: “He told the police he had been told two women had turned up at his address referring to him as a paedophile and that when he was confronted in Derby he had ran away.”

Collins admitted attempting to sexually communicate with a child and attempting to meet a child for sex. He has no relevant previous convictions.

Dale Harris, mitigating, said his client has a long-standing gambling addiction and has racked up £38,000 in debts.

He said: “People might think that people who offend like this need to go to prison but the reality is that means little will be done in terms of rehabilitation, this defendant will certainly lose his job and nothing constructive will be done.”

As part of the suspended sentence, Collins was ordered to carry out 35 rehabilitation sessions with the probation service and attend a 90-day program to address his offending.

He was also handed a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and will be on the sex offender register, also for 10 years.

Judge Bennett also ordered Collins to carry out 80 hours unpaid work.