YORKSHIRE SEX OFFENDER CLIVE JONES SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS AFTER ONLINE STING TRAP

Clive Jones, a 74-year-old former prosecutor from Yorkshire, has been sentenced to a 12-year prison term after being caught in a police-led online sting operation that exposed his intentions to commit heinous sexual offences against a child. Jones, who previously served as a prosecutor at magistrates' courts in Hull and Bridlington, was arrested following a series of disturbing online exchanges with what he believed was a woman named Karen, who claimed to have a seven-year-old child.

Jones, a resident of Bempton near Flamborough, had a long-standing career within the legal system, having prosecuted numerous cases and eventually rising to the position of district crown prosecutor overseeing serious criminal cases at crown courts. Despite his professional background, his actions post-retirement led to his downfall. He responded to an online advertisement created by police, who had set up a decoy profile to catch potential predators. The police impersonated a woman and her child, knowing that such online interactions often attract individuals with predatory intentions.

According to court proceedings, Jones engaged in messaging with the decoy, exchanging explicit communications and expressing his intent to meet the woman and her child in person. He made preparations for the meeting, bringing condoms, ropes, and Viagra in his car's boot, indicating his plans for sexual activity. Unbeknownst to him, the entire scenario was a police trap designed to catch individuals like him. His arrest followed his journey in his vehicle to meet what he believed was a woman and her child, only to be detained by officers.

During the trial at Durham Crown Court, Jones faced seven charges of arranging to commit sexual offences against a child, with the incidents alleged to have taken place between January 31 and February 21 of the previous year. Jones denied all charges, but after a six-day trial, the jury found him guilty on December 18. The case was moved from Hull Crown Court to Durham due to Jones's previous connections to the justice system, which could have posed a conflict of interest.

Jones was remanded into custody immediately following his conviction and appeared via video link from HMP Durham for his sentencing hearing. Judge James Adkin presided over the case, emphasizing the severity of Jones's intentions. The judge stated that the offences Jones sought to commit included rape, assault of a child by penetration, sexual assault, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child. Although the offences never materialized, the jury's verdict indicated that Jones intended to carry out these acts, which the judge described as