POP STAR ARRESTED IN CHILD GROOMING STING

‘Musician thought he was arranging to meet a 14-year-old boy for sex’

A FORMER member of an Irish band was arrested after allegedly going to meet what he thought was a child for sex.

Vigilante group, the Predator Catchers, claimed the musician had travelled from Dublin to Belfast for the meeting and said he had sent numerous lewd messages.

However, it was an adult decoy communicating with the man who is believed to have used a false name.

The exchange started on Grindr, a gay dating app, and progressed quickly with explicit messages being sent by him to what he believed was a 14-year-old boy. After he was trapped by Predator Catchers members he was held down until police arrived and arrested him.

A PSNI spokesman said: “Police arrested a 32-year-old male in the Glengall Street area of Belfast on Tuesday January, 16 on suspicion of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and attempted sexual communication with a child. The man was interviewed at Musgrave station before being released on bail pending further police inquiries.”

It is understood no charges have been brought but a file may be sent to the Public Prosecution Service over the coming weeks.

The man can be heard constantly shouting “help” in the Predator Catchers’ live video, which was streamed online.

A spokeswoman for the group claimed the first question he asked the decoy on the app was about his age. She added: “He asked sexual questions including asking the size of his penis.

“He had mentioned previously they could do stuff in the car, which was his exact phrase.

“I think originally his plan was to go to the decoy’s house if his mum was out, but he had said if not they would drive around and do stuff.

“He also asked the decoy about his younger brother and they had said he was 12. He had asked about coming to the house and would the younger brother be free and would he want to join in. So it was two brothers he was talking about, not just one.”