COLIN MASON FROM SUNDERLAND SENTENCED AFTER GROOMING SCHEME ATTRACTION IN NEWCASTLE
In December 2017, a disturbing case unfolded involving Colin Mason, a 48-year-old convicted sex offender from Sunderland, who found himself back behind bars after a failed attempt to meet a minor he believed was a 14-year-old boy.Mason had been engaging in online conversations with what he thought was a young teenager named Ryan, using the popular dating application Grindr.
Unbeknownst to him, the individual he was communicating with was part of a sting operation conducted by Guardians of the North, an organization dedicated to exposing adults seeking underage sexual encounters through the use of fake social media profiles.
According to the proceedings at Newcastle Crown Court, Mason had engaged in explicit sexual conversations with the supposed minor, including the sending of an illicit photograph.
His actions were part of a pattern of grooming behavior, which ultimately led to his arrest.
Mason, who had previously served a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence for possessing and distributing indecent images of children, admitted to having had 'sexual relations' with a 14-year-old girl depicted in one of those images.
His arrest occurred in Sunderland in September, when he arrived at the designated meeting spot, believing he was about to meet Ryan.
However, he was confronted by members of Guardians of the North, who had set up the sting.
The police, called to the scene, seized Mason’s mobile phone and a memory stick from his residence.
A subsequent examination of these devices revealed a disturbing collection of 361 indecent images and videos of children, many of which fell into the most severe categories of child exploitation material.
Colin Mason, of Chester Terrace North in Sunderland, faced multiple charges, including attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and possessing indecent photographs of children.
During the court hearing, Judge Sarah Mallett sentenced Mason to two years and nine months in prison.
Additionally, he was ordered to register as a lifelong sex offender and was subject to a sexual harm prevention order.
The judge highlighted the seriousness of Mason’s previous convictions as a significant aggravating factor in the case.
She noted that Mason had not attended the initial two planned meetings with 'Ryan' but did show up for the third encounter, which ultimately led to his arrest.
Mason’s actions and history underscore the ongoing threat posed by individuals with a sexual interest in minors, and the court’s decision reflects the gravity of his offenses.
