Pervert snared by vigilantes on trip to meet schoolgirls is jailed

A PAEDOPHILE who travelled to Glasgow to meet two schoolgirls he believed he had been speaking to has been jailed, after being snared by a vigilante group.

John Hargreaves, 63, thought he was talking to 12-year-old Holly and her 13-year-old friend, Kirsty in November and December 2017.

He invited the youngsters to send pictures of themselves and used sexualised language towards them.

In one message he said “you’re a good girl Kirsty, and if you’re a good girl I might let you see what I have for you both to play with on Friday night ok xxx”

But, Hargreaves was actually talking to Hayleigh Whitelaw and Gordon Buchan from the Wolf Pack group.

After a trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Hargreaves was convicted of three charges under the Sexual Offences Act, including making arrangements to travel with the intention of meeting a 12 and 13-year-old to engage in unlawful sexual behaviour.

Sheriff Ian Fleming jailed Hargreaves for 15 months for his crimes and put him on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

The group who call themselves Wolf Pack Hunters pounced on Hargreaves at Buchanan Bus Station when he arrived to meet the girls.

Hargreaves claimed that he knew he wasn’t speaking to the young girls and claimed that it was clear from a message he sent to Kirsty.

It said: “You’re not two young girls, your grown men trying to scam people. I have asked you to go on camera and you make excuses or just blank it because you cannot go on camera because you’re grown adults lol so don’t message me again.”