ANTHONY MCGRATH CAUGHT IN SUNDERLAND UNDERCOVER POLICE STING: SEX OFFENDER RETURNED TO PRISON

A convicted sex offender, Anthony McGrath, has been apprehended once again in Sunderland after attempting to meet a minor at a train station, following a covert police operation.

The incident took place in January 2024, when McGrath, 47 years old and known to have a history of sexual offences involving boys, tried to arrange a clandestine meeting with a 14-year-old.

According to court proceedings, McGrath instructed the young person to disable the location tracking on their phone prior to their planned encounter, aiming to prevent authorities from tracing their movements.

Unbeknownst to him, police officers had set up an undercover operation, and they were waiting at the designated train station in Sunderland when McGrath arrived. As soon as he appeared, law enforcement officers moved in and arrested him on the spot.

It was revealed that McGrath was previously released from prison on licence after serving time for sex offences committed in 2018. His current detention marks a return to incarceration, with a sentence of 32 months handed down by Newcastle Crown Court.

During the court hearing, it was disclosed that McGrath believed he was communicating with a 14-year-old via a dating website, but in reality, the profile he was chatting with was operated by a police officer.

Prosecutor Matthew Hopkins detailed that even after being informed that he was speaking to a minor, McGrath continued to engage in sexually explicit conversations and went as far as sending a photograph of himself wearing boxer shorts.

The court heard that McGrath had made arrangements to meet the supposed child at the train station, and he was instructed to turn off his phone’s location services to avoid detection.

When McGrath arrived at the station, police officers promptly arrested him.

The court also learned that McGrath, who has no fixed address, admitted to charges of attempted sexual communication with a minor, attempting to meet a child after grooming, and breaching a sexual harm prevention order that was previously imposed following his 2018 conviction.

Judge Stephen Earl sentenced McGrath to 32 months in prison, emphasizing that he is a