JOE SNOWDON CAUGHT IN GATESHEAD HOTEL PLOT TO MEET 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL
In June 2017, a disturbing incident unfolded involving Joe Snowdon, a rugby player from Gateshead, who was caught attempting to meet a supposed underage girl at a hotel in Newcastle.The case was brought to light by Dark Justice, an online child protection group that creates fake profiles to expose individuals seeking to engage in sexual activities with minors.
Snowdon, aged 24, believed he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl named Amanda, whom he initially met on the adult social networking site Skout.
The conversations then moved to private messaging via WhatsApp.
Unbeknownst to him, the profile he was chatting with was a trap set up by Dark Justice, designed to catch predators.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that police were alerted when Snowdon arrived at the West Parade Hotel in Newcastle, intending to meet the girl.
Officers were waiting at the scene and promptly arrested him upon his arrival.
The incident caused significant repercussions for Snowdon, who has since been suspended from his rugby club, where he had played for many years.
Additionally, he lost two potential job opportunities after prospective employers learned of the case.
Snowdon, who resides in Swalwell, Gateshead, claimed that his online exchanges were purely 'fantasy.' However, he later admitted to attempting to incite a child into engaging in sexual activity.
It was noted that he had no prior criminal convictions.
Prosecutor Rachel Masters explained that all the online conversations took place within a single day, December 3 of the previous year.
The chat was initiated with a fake profile created by Dark Justice members on Skout.
Despite the profile claiming 'Amanda' was over 18, the reality was that she was a 13-year-old minor.
The initial exchanges were described as 'friendly,' even after the realization that 'Amanda' was underage.
During the course of the conversation, mobile phone numbers were exchanged, allowing the dialogue to continue on WhatsApp.
Snowdon expressed affection, telling 'Amanda' that she was 'cute.' As the conversation progressed, it shifted towards sexual content, with Snowdon asking if she would like to kiss him and making explicit suggestions such as 'I want to take your V.' He also proposed meeting up in person.
Within hours of the conversation, a meeting was arranged.
Snowdon, aware of the risks, sent a message indicating he was nervous and acknowledged that he was 'taking a big risk to meet up.' When he arrived at the designated location, police arrested him on the spot.
Judge Sarah Mallett addressed Snowdon directly, stating, 'You knew in your heart of hearts you ought to have stopped it even then, but you didn’t.
You were arrested at the meeting place.' She acknowledged that Snowdon was 'appalled and disgusted' by his own actions and recognized that he is susceptible to intervention that could benefit both himself and the public.
As part of his sentence, Snowdon was given a community order for three years and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for seven years, reflecting the seriousness of his conduct and the potential risk posed to minors.
