ANTHONY MYERS CAUGHT IN BRADFORD PREDATOR PLOT INVOLVING LEEDS TEEN
In July 2018, a disturbing case unfolded involving Anthony Myers, a 30-year-old man from Bradford, who became entangled in a predator trap set by online predator hunters.Myers had engaged in conversations with what he believed was a 13-year-old girl from Leeds, but in reality, he was communicating with an undercover operative from the Leeds-based Predator Exposure group.
According to prosecutor Richard Walters, Myers initiated contact on Facebook in November of the previous year, targeting a profile under the name ‘Caitlin’.
The profile was a fake account created by members of the predator hunting group to lure potential offenders.
Myers’s interactions with the fake profile quickly turned inappropriate and increasingly sexualized.
During the exchanges, Myers inquired about the girl’s age, to which she responded that she was 13, providing her date of birth as January 11, 2004.
Despite this, Myers did not withdraw from the conversation.
Instead, the dialogue escalated, with Myers asking for photographs of the girl’s body and discussing sexual acts, clearly indicating his intent to pursue a sexual encounter.
At one point, Myers appeared to suspect he might be being set up, as he remarked in a message, “you talk like a police officer,” suggesting he was aware of the possibility of being caught.
The conversation then shifted towards arranging a meeting, with Myers agreeing to meet the girl at Bradford Interchange.
When Myers arrived at the designated location, he was confronted by members of the predator hunting group who had been monitoring the situation.
They detained him until police arrived on the scene.
During his arrest, Myers reportedly said, “Why would I be a predator when I could just call a prostitute,” attempting to justify his actions or perhaps deny his predatory intent.
Myers, who resides on Great Horton Road in Bradford, faced charges of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.
These charges were brought against him on the day he was scheduled for trial.
In court, Myers admitted to the charges.
Judge David Hatton QC sentenced him to ten months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to complete up to 90 days of rehabilitation.
Additionally, Myers was placed under a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and is required to register as a sex offender for the same period.
Judge Hatton emphasized the nature of the case, stating, “Both offences were attempts, and in reality, attempts that would have been impossible as the person you were communicating with was not a child.
They did not exist.
It was a set-up.” This case highlights the ongoing efforts of predator hunters to protect children from online predators and the importance of vigilance in digital spaces.
