Man, 50, thought he was meeting girl, 12, for sex

VIGILANTE GROUP MADE UP VICTIM TO SNARE OFFENDER

A 50-YEAR-OLD man arranged to meet what he believed was a girl of 12 in Bulwell for sex - with a viagra tablet in his pocket.

But jobless Peter Hamlet had no idea the “child” he planned to see was a decoy.

He was duped by the online profile of the girl but it was actually a member of a paedophile vigilante group.

The vigilante had created the false profile of a 12-year-old child to catch out people like Hamlet.

And when he unsuspectingly arrived at Bulwell bus station for the arranged liaison, members of the organisation moved in to confront him and called 999, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

A blue viagra tablet - which he said he forgot was there - was seized. Police also recovered his Samsung mobile containing 11 indecent images of children.

Prosecutor Peter Allan said it was Hamlet who had started a conversation with “the girl”. The conversation moved to “what about your boyfriend?” She said: “I’ve never had a boyfriend.”

He told her: “If I was 12, I would be your boyfriend”.

Hamlet said at one point, “you could stay at my place?” and “we could make love”. She asked him “what do you mean?” and he replied “have sex”.

Hamlet also asked “are you a vigi- lante?” and she replied “what’s that?”

“He appeared to be satisfied by the answer,” added Mr Allan. He also asked for a video of her in her school uniform and, when her mum was away, he suggested “he could come round”. When she revealed her mum was away, they set up the meeting in Bulwell.

After his arrest, Hamlet went on to plead guilty to attempting to facilitate an act in Bulwell involving the commission of an offence, namely engaging in sexual intercourse with a child of 12. He had earlier admitted three charges of possessing indecent photos of a child.

Judge Steven Coupland imposed a 20-month sentence for the main offence, of which he will serve half and the rest on licence, and concurrent sentences on the remaining charges.

Hamlet, of Pennytown Court, Somercotes, near Alfreton, will be required to sign the sex offenders’ register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

He had indulged in graphic chat with the “child”, the judge said. “She told you her mum was away and you made arrangements to meet her for intercourse to take place.”

Hamlet was handed a community order just days before the offences earlier this year. He had appeared in court for possessing extreme pornography after his home address was searched in August 2017.

In mitigation, Richard Posner said Hamlet had significant learning difficulties.