A bus driver hooked on “talking dirty online” had sex chats with girls aged 14, 13 and 11.


A bus driver hooked on “talking dirty online” had sex chats with girls aged 14, 13 and 11.

But it turned out Gary Hayden was actually talking to paedophile hunter decoys, Bristol Crown Court heard.

And after being arrested he returned to social media, did exactly the same thing and was caught again.

Hayden, 42, of Deerhurst in Yate, pleaded guilty to three charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, all of which happened last year.

Judge Paul Cook handed him a six months prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

He told Hayden: “The exchanges were extremely unpleasant.

“You believed you were communicating with children as young as 11.

“Luckily in this case no children were actually harmed.

“If you go online and communicate with children you will be back before the court and to prison you will go.”

The judge also handed Hayden rehabilitation, a four-month curfew and a seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order designed to stop him re-offending.

Hayden declined to comment as he left court.

Gregory Gordon, prosecuting, said Hayden went on social media and chatted with “Chloe aged 14”, telling her he was 19.

After complementing her on her picture he made lewd suggestions before sending her a photo of a man’s private parts, the court heard.

Though they arranged to meet in Trenchard Street car park in Bristol, Hayden didn’t turn up and blocked her from messaging.

Mr Gregory said Hayden also had inappropriate online chats with “Katie aged 13” and sent her an obscene photo.

After that he received a knock at his door and found four vigilantes stood there.

Mr Gregory said: “They interrogated him for 50 minutes outside, with his family inside.

“They made him apologize to the decoy and he was streamed to other vigilantes.”

Hayden was arrested and claimed to police that he he knew he was contacting peadophile hunters.

Having been released on bail he went online and made sexual suggestions to “Jessie-May” aged 11, the court heard.

By then he had moved in with his parents, who phoned police when people surrounded their home, shouting abuse.

Mr Gregory said: “Police arrived and vigilantes handed over an evidence pack, including screenshots and Facebook messages.

Hayden told police he was an alcohloic and suffered from “an addiction to talking dirty to people online”.