Paedophile jailed after ‘sinister’ online grooming

A PAEDOPHILE groomed a chat room user he believed to be 12 and arranged to meet her by promising to bring her cash and sweets.

Married dad-of-one Rahmat Masih, 38, told the “girl” his car had blacked-out windows and asked her to wear a skirt when they met at a pub near Pontypridd.

Sentencing him at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Tom Crowther QC described the contact on WhatsApp as “sinister”.

The court heard 12-year-old “Becky” was actually a member of Welsh Children Protectors, a group prosecutor Jason Howells described as “paedophile hunters”.

Prosecutors said the offending occurred between April 20 and May 13.

Mr Howells told the court the “decoy” set up a profile on social network Chat Hour pretending to be Becky and stated she was 19. She received a message from Masih on April 20 and told him she was on her lunch break at school.

Mr Howells said: “She told him she was 12.”

The court heard the conversation moved to WhatsApp and Becky repeatedly mentioned her age, as well as referring to school and her mother.

Prosecutors said the defendant sent her a photograph of a girl in a bikini and asked if her breasts looked like that.

Mr Howells added: “He asked her to keep their conversations secret.”

The court heard he sent her sexual videos, then asked her to delete them.

Prosecutors said Masih asked the supposed girl about sexual acts and described what he would like to do to her. The court heard he also asked for images of her and offered to “train her” for sex.

Mr Howells said they agreed to meet at The Ship Inn in Llantwit Fardre and the defendant told her he would bring cash and sweets.

The court heard Masih told the girl his car had blacked-out windows and said it would be “easier” if she wore a skirt. She reiterated she was 12.

Prosecutors said the decoy reported the conversation to her group leader and they attended the post office where Masih was working.

They saw him behind the counter and reported him to South Wales Police, who arrested him.

When he was cautioned, he replied: “Is it possible I can tell my wife and son?”

The defendant was interviewed on May 13 and accepted talking to Becky. He told officers her profile said she was 19.

Police searched his home in Cardiff and seized items including three mobile phones, an iPad and a laptop.

Masih, from Downlands Way in Rumney, admitted attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual image.

John Pennington, defending, stressed his client had no previous convictions.

The court heard he was working at the post office but hoped to train as a nurse – which he will no longer be able to do.

Judge Crowther noted no real child was involved, but told the defendant “Becky” could have been in school with his own child.

He described the WhatsApp contact as “sinister”, as it was direct rather than on a public forum.

Masih was jailed for 12 months and the judge made a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.