Ex-soldier who made sex-for-rent offer to ‘homeless girl aged 15’
A FORMER soldier offering ‘sex for rent’ online sent crude messages to what he believed was a homeless 15-year-old girl, a court heard.
Jeffrey Millar was convicted of child sex offences yesterday after being duped in an online sting.
The 55-year-old, who has helped to organise Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions, had placed an advert on the website Craigslist for his one-bedroom flat. It was headed ‘Free room for females in Manchester’ and proposed: ‘Will live with me rent and bill free. Will come to an agreement that will be mutual and beneficial to us both as to your payment for staying with me at the flat... Race and size does not matter.’
However, an internet user then contacted him pretending to be a homeless 15-yearold girl, Manchester Crown Court was told. After sending the ‘girl’ crude sexual messages, the former military engineer arranged to meet her – only for police to arrest him at his home after being tipped off.
Millar yesterday pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity but escaped with a three-year community order. He is thought to be the first landlord to be convicted of sexual offences since a crackdown on offering ‘sex for rent’ was introduced in January.
Gavin Howie, prosecuting, said the man who duped Millar – Billy Richardson-McLean – had been concerned about the ‘unpleasant and suspicious’ post from 2017, particularly as Millar described himself online as a coordinator with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.
Mr Richardson- McLean replied to the ad with the mes- sage: ‘Horny young girl, desperate for somewhere to live.’
Millar responded: ‘ Don’t need money to stay with me, I’d like to see your p****’ before exchanging further sexually explicit messages.
Mr Howie said: ‘[Millar] did not appear to be put off by her age, and said if she were to stay, a sexual favours arrangement would need to be made.’
Judge Hilary Manley said ‘a lengthy community order’ was the best way to protect the public. A Duke of Edinburgh’s Award spokesman said Millar had been a volunteer for the Army Cadet Force Association, which is licensed to run its programmes, adding that he was not believed to have been involved since 2017.