YORK PAEDOPHILE ANTHONY FERGUSON JAILED FOR GROOMING AND TRYING TO MEET UNDERAGE GIRL
A paedophile who attempted to entice an underage girl from Wolverhampton to York with the intent to engage in sexual activities has been sentenced to prison.Anthony Ferguson, who was on parole after serving time for heroin dealing in York, engaged in months of online sexual conversations with a Facebook profile of a 14-year-old girl.
Prosecutors revealed Ferguson persuaded the profile owner to come to York for sex, openly stating, 'I don’t mind if you don’t – I am 54.' When he met the girl at McDonald's after she traveled to York, Ferguson was confronted by online paedophile hunters who live-streamed the encounter and notified the police.
Ferguson, aged 56, pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to meet a child after grooming.
The judge described his effort to meet the girl as 'a determined effort' that was only prevented by vigilantes, not by Ferguson himself.
He was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison, and will be required to register as a sex offender, be subject to a sexual harm prevention order, and be barred from working with vulnerable people for life.
Ferguson has a history of 100 previous convictions, including multiple sentences for drug dealing, theft, and burglary.
His defense argued he had no prior sexual offenses and was acting out of character due to poor mental health and drug relapse during the pandemic.
He was also assaulted in prison because of his sexual offenses and had been released from custody in April 2025.
The case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement and vigilant groups to combat online grooming and child sexual exploitation.
