‘Paedophile hunters’ snare pervert trying to meet girl
AMAN was caught in a ‘paedophile hunter’ sting operation after he arranged to meet a decoy posing as a 15-year-old girl at a tram station.
Simon Ramsden-Smith, 54, had struck up a conversation with the ‘girl’ in an online chatroom.
Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court heard how the conversation became sexual, even though Ramsden-Smith, from Stockport, was aware she was aged 15 and he had seen her photo.
One message read: “Are you wearing any underwear?”
Another asked whether the girl was naked. Other messages contained more graphic sexual content.
After several exchanges, he then sent the decoy a graphic photo of himself.
Ramsden-Smith then arranged to meet the decoy the next day, on 12 April this year, at Brooklands tram stop in Sale. But waiting for him were members of the North West Predator Hunters.
Ramsden-Smith was filmed by the group as he sat in his car near the station, with the footage live streamed on Facebook. He can be seen in the video – which has been viewed more than 88,000 times – denying contacting or meeting other young girls and apologising for his actions.
Ramsden-Smith pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming at an earlier hearing.
He was handed a threeyear community order and ordered to attend a Proba- tion Service-approved programme for 60 hours.
He will also be required to attend 20 days of community rehabilitation part of his sentencing.
The judge, Mr Recorder JMA Murray, said the sentence as was ‘not meant to be a let off’ but was a way of Ramsden-Smith reintegrating himself back into the community. He had been kept in custody since his arrest for his own safety, the court heard.