JOSHUA TURNER FROM COVENTRY CAUGHT TRYING TO MEET 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN WEST MIDLANDS AND JAILED
In April 2018, a disturbing case unfolded involving Joshua Turner, a resident of Coventry, who was apprehended by online child protection group 'Redemption' after attempting to meet a girl he believed was only 13 years old for sexual activity.The incident took place in the West Midlands, specifically at Tile Hill station, where Turner had arranged to meet the girl he thought he was communicating with online.
Turner, aged 21 and residing on Nixon Road in Tile Hill, had previously been convicted in October 2017 for possessing extreme images of sexual acts involving animals and an indecent image of a child.
Despite serving time for those offences, he was still on the sex offender register for ten years.
His prior offences included four images depicting bestiality and one involving an 11-year-old girl subjected to degrading acts.
During his sentencing, it was clarified that although he had searched for bestiality content, he had not specifically sought images involving children.
Just three months after receiving a suspended sentence for his previous crimes, Turner resumed online activity, engaging in chat conversations on his phone with someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl.
The individual he was communicating with was actually an adult woman operating as a decoy for a group known as 'Redemption.' The decoy, named 'Gracie,' did not initiate any sexual dialogue but repeatedly informed Turner that she was only 13.
Despite this, within minutes, Turner’s messages turned sexual, and he detailed various fetishes.
He also sent an explicit image of himself exposing his genitals and expressed a willingness to let her touch him if they met.
Plans were made for the following day, with Turner arriving at Tile Hill station expecting to meet 'Gracie.' However, instead of the girl, he was confronted by members of the 'Redemption' team.
During the confrontation, Turner became visibly distressed and somewhat aggressive, claiming he should not be there because he was 'on the register.' In his police interview, Turner claimed to be schizophrenic and stated that voices had instructed him to meet the girl.
He also said that he would have sat down with her and advised her against any inappropriate actions.
Nevertheless, the court heard that Turner had referred to 13-year-old girls as 'horny little s***s' and had expressed disturbing thoughts about harming her, claiming he heard voices telling him to sexually mutilate her.
Judge Anthony Potter sentenced Turner to two years in prison for attempting to meet the decoy girl, with the sentence to run consecutively to the six months of his previously suspended sentence.
Additionally, Turner was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was subjected to a 15-year sexual harm prevention order.
Prosecutor Oliver Woolhouse highlighted that Turner’s prior offences involved searching for extreme pornography, including images of bestiality and a young girl, which underscored the seriousness of his actions and the potential risk he posed.
This case underscores the ongoing efforts of child protection groups and law enforcement to combat online grooming and protect vulnerable minors from predatory individuals like Joshua Turner, whose actions have now resulted in a significant custodial sentence.
