ANDREW KAY FROM NEWPORT JAILED FOR GROOMING A 13-YEAR-OLD ON FACEBOOK
In May 2018, a man from Newport was sentenced to prison after being caught in a sting operation conducted by an online paedophile hunting group.Andrew Kay, aged 47 and residing on Corporation Road in Newport, faced serious charges after attempting to meet a girl he believed to be 13 years old, following a period of grooming through Facebook Messenger.
Kay’s actions came to light when he engaged in a series of sexually explicit conversations with what he thought was a young girl.
The interactions spanned from March 10 to April 8, during which he sent numerous messages that were of a sexual nature.
Unbeknownst to him, the profile he was communicating with had been created by Justice for Kids, an online group dedicated to catching online predators.
This group had set up a fake profile, complete with images of a girl aged approximately 13 to 14, all of which were real pictures used with consent.
According to evidence presented at Newport Crown Court, the profile explicitly stated that the girl was 13 years old and had joined Facebook to make friends.
The profile’s bio indicated her age and intentions, and the pictures used were of a girl in the 13-14 age range.
Kay sent a friend request to this profile in March, which was accepted.
Following this, he initiated contact by sending a simple wave and inquiring about her well-being.
The profile responded that she was 13, prompting Kay to reveal that he was 46 years old and asking if that was acceptable.
As their online interaction progressed, Kay engaged in explicit sexual conversations with the profile, which he later admitted to police.
He claimed that he had forgotten her age during these exchanges.
Despite his claims, the evidence showed that he was fully aware of the girl’s age, and his intent was clearly sexual in nature.
He even arranged to meet her at Newport railway station on March 28 but ultimately did not go through with the meeting.
Justice for Kids provided their evidence to another online group, whose members then visited Kay’s workplace in Rogerstone on April 2, accompanied by a police officer.
Kay was subsequently arrested at his workplace.
During the court proceedings, Prosecutor John Warren explained that the profile’s bio and pictures were consistent with a young girl, and that Kay’s interactions were aimed at establishing a meeting for sexual purposes.
Kay pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following grooming.
Recorder Mark Powell QC addressed the court, stating that if Kay had been represented, mitigation might have argued that he did not actually meet the girl nor lied about his age.
The judge also noted that Kay had pleaded guilty early and that no sexual images had been exchanged.
However, he dismissed Kay’s claim of forgetting her age or confusing her with American friends, asserting that Kay was fully aware of her age and was motivated by sexual gratification.
As a result, Andrew Kay was sentenced to one year in prison.
Additionally, he was placed under a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, restricting his activities and contact to prevent further offenses of this nature.
