A man has been jailed for more than two years after he was trapped by a Leeds-based group that targets online paedophiles


A man has been jailed for more than two years after he was trapped by a Leeds-based group that targets online paedophiles. Richard Myers, 44, of Manningham Lane, Bradford spent months sexually grooming what he thought was a 13-year-old girl. He was confronted by members of Predator Exposure in October. Bradford Crown Court heard a fake social media profile that included the girl’s age had been set up by a member of the group. Stephen Wood prosecuting said Myers sent the fake Facebook profile a friend request in August. During chats Myers said he was 33 and asked if she would be his girlfriend. Myers also warned the girl not to tell her parents about the chats and sent two indecent images. Mr Wood said the defendant “blocked” the profile in October and a few days later members of the group confronted Myers at the garage where he worked. Myers accepted that he thought he had been messaging a girl and was arrested after the police were contacted, said Mr Wood. He claimed his computer had been hacked in a police interview but pleaded guilty in December to a series of offences. These included attempting to sexually communicate with a child, attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. Jayne Beckett, barrister for Myers, said at the time of the offending he was binge-drinking and living alone at his flat. Judge Jonathan Rose said Myers had believed the profile and described his behaviour as “deviant”. Myers was jailed for 32 months, has to register with the police as a sex offender and will also be banned from contacting girls under 16.