Pervert, 59, snared in Dark Justice sting after grooming

Pervert, 59, snared in Dark Justice sting after grooming

This is the moment a 59-year-old pervert was caught by paedophile hunters after he tried to meet a 14-year-old girl he had groomed on WhatsApp for sex. 

John Dickinson, from Crawcrook, Tyne and Wear, believed he had been talking to a young girl called Amy on social media, but the fake account had been set up by undercover organisation Dark Justice.

The 59-year-old was confronted by the group, who pose as teenagers online to expose men looking for sex with children, after organising to meet her in his village. 

This is the moment a 59-year-old pervert was caught by paedophile hunters after he tried to meet a 14-year-old girl he had groomed on WhatsApp for sex

Newcastle Crown Court heard how Dickinson contacted an online profile which had been set up by Dark Justice on a dating website.

Rachel Masters, prosecuting, told the court: 'Amy's profile showed she was 19-years-old. Two days later on June 19 the profile was contacted by the defendant.'

The fake profile told Dickinson, 'I'm in school' before telling him she was 14-years-old.

The court heard how he questioned how she could be 14 when you had to be 18 to join the website and she told him she had lied.

Ms Masters said: 'The defendant continued the conversation and asked her if she had the facilities to use the WhatsApp facility.'

John Dickinson, from Crawcrook, Tyne and Wear, believed he had been talking to a young girl called Amy on social media, but the fake account had been set up by undercover organisation Dark Justice

Dickinson gave her his mobile number so they could communicate through WhatsApp and messaged her saying: 'Hi Amy, do you want to try sex'.

He later asked her if she wanted to meet up and what she would want to do if they did.

He told her, 'I'm looking for fun or sex' to which she replied: 'wow my age not put you off?'

Dickinson replied, 'No but it has to be between us' and 'I can go to prison if found out, if you tell anyone I'm in big trouble'.

The court heard how Dickinson asked her, 'have you ever seen a man's penis?' and offered to send her a picture of his.

Dickinson gave her his mobile number so they could communicate through WhatsApp and messaged her saying: 'Hi Amy, do you want to try sex'

In one message, he told Amy: 'Would hate it if you hurt [while] we have sex' 

The court heard how Dickinson asked her, 'have you ever seen a man's penis?' and offered to send her a picture of his

He also asked her to send a naked picture of herself so he could see how developed her body was and if she had a bust.

Ms Masters told the court how he said: 'You want to meet up for sex is that right? I need to know if your grown up for that.'

She told the court how Dickinson organised to meet Amy at Central Station in Newcastle but later told her: 'can't come, too many police'.

Dickinson told Amy to get a bus or taxi to Crawcrook instead.

But when he arrived to meet her at the bus stop, he was confronted by members of Dark Justice and the police.

Dickinson was arrested and claimed he was only going to 'teach the girl a lesson'.

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Dickinson previously pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to meet a child following grooming at Magistrates court