A joiner was caught by online paedophile hunters trying to incite underage girls to have sex.


A joiner was caught by online paedophile hunters trying to incite underage girls to have sex.

Cameron Haigh, 24, later told police he was “looking for a f*** buddy” when he went on the social media dating website Jaumo, Hull Crown Court heard.

He admitted continuing trying to engage them two “girls” in sexual activity and chat even after they told him they were 13 and 14.

They were in fact “decoys” deployed by two paedophile hunting groups, with a 13-year-old called “Paula Page” set up by One Reason, and “Gabby Osbourne”, 14, posted by Justice For Children.

Richard Thompson, prosecuting, said Haigh was using the social media site Jaumo, and claimed he had set his parameters for girls aged between 17 and 21, but this could not be confirmed by prosecutors.

Haigh communicated with “Paula” between October 13 and December 22, 2017, and with “Gabby” between February 20 that year and February 1, 2018.

Mr Thompson said: “The defendant sent indecent photographs of himself and requested the same in return, despite it being made clear to him to profile related to a child.”
Paula” had told him she was on the site to make friends, but Haigh “made suggestive comments” of a sexual nature.

She replied: “I’m only a kid. I’ve never done that before”. But the suggestive comments continued.

Mr Thompson said: “The defendant set out in explicit terms the sexual acts he would like to perform. The response he received was ‘Why would you want to do that when I’m only 13?’ The defendant said it did not matter.”

“Gabby” also received explicit messages from Haigh, who suggested they could “meet up”.

He also used WhatsApp to send her explicit pictures of himself.

But his phone number on WhatsApp allowed him to be traced to the home he shared with his parents in Beverley, and members of Justice for Children paid him a visit on February 10.

He confirmed he was the person responsible and was arrested after police were called

Haigh, of Nursery Gardens, Beverley, admitted four offences of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and two of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

He had received a caution for common assault in 2010, and had a conviction for inflicting grievous bodily harm from a juvenile court.

Haigh, a twin, provided the court with references from a retired detective inspector, his GP practice, his employer, and an aunt and uncle.

Sentencing Haigh to six months in jail, suspended for two years, Judge David Tremberg told him: “You knew what you were doing was wrong but you did it and you did it for sexual gratification, and you were either unable or unwilling to demonstrate the necessary control mechanism to decline from this behaviour.”

Haigh must also attend the Horizon programme, have up to 15 days rehabilitation, and comply with a 28-day curfew between the hours of 8pm and 6am.

He must register as a sex offender for seven years and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order