October 2016 Pervert jailed after arranging to meet ‘girl, aged 11’ for sex A pervert snared by internet paedophile hunters – after arranging to meet someone he thought was an 11-year-old for sex while his girlfriend was at a hen do – has been jailed for five years Mark McKenna, 38, was nabbed by the secret group The Hunted One in an open-air car park outside the shopping mall in August, a court heard. McKenna was filmed being confronted about the explicit online conversations he had been having with the fictitious 11-year-old girl called ‘Lisa’. Prosecutor Dominic Connolly said McKenna told Lisa he was ‘hard’ and would like her to touch his private areas. Of their planned meeting at the Bluewater shopping mall near Dartford, Kent on August 6 this year, he said he wanted to touch, stroke and kiss her but did not want sex ‘yet’. But, just hours before he went to the shopping centre – and while his girlfriend was to be away for the evening in London – McKenna told the girl he had bought condoms. He also told her of the risk he faced at being arrested for his sordid chats and plan. “He messaged Lisa to say he could get into trouble by the police and asked her to promise that she wouldn’t tell anyone,” said Mr Connolly. “He told her about a dream he had had where she was kissing his private parts and he was kissing hers and he sent further sexual images. “He asked what she would wear in bed and the conversation went on to talk about full sexual intercourse – how they would need to be careful and that he would wear a condom and he promised to be gentle with her. He also sent diagrams of sexual positions. “The morning they were due to meet up he sent a message to say he would be buying some protection and shortly thereafter he sent a picture of an unopened condom packet with the message ‘I have them’.” The court heard McKenna had private messaged ‘Lisa’ after ‘liking’ her profile set up by the vigilante group on Instagram. His conversations over three-and-a-half weeks also included him sending photographs of a penis and of himself laying in bed. He also spoke of having ‘nice dreams about us’, sending her an explicit image. Maidstone Crown Court in Kent heard McKenna knew from the outset how old the ‘girl’ was, both from the photographs on her Instagram profile and by asking her directly. He also told her his age and that she would have to pretend to be his daughter when they met. McKenna, of High Street, Northfleet, Kent, was confronted by Andy Bradstock from The Hunted One in a car park outside the Marks and Spencer store. Mr Bradstock had already alerted police to what he intended to do and was told by the operator officers would attend. “When McKenna was approached he said: ‘I thought this would happen,’,” added Mr Connolly during the sentencing hearing at Maidstone Crown Court in Kent today. The confrontation was filmed by the paedophile hunters and later shared on social media. The video lasted several minutes as the members, in full view and hearing of other shoppers at the busy complex in Greenhithe, detailed what he had done and explained they had handed over evidence to police. They continued to film as two Kent Police officers arrived and eventually arrested McKenna. McKenna pleaded guilty to one offence of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, namely sexual activity with a child, between July 12 and August 7, 2016. The offence carries a maximum sentence of 14 years. The court heard that since his arrest, McKenna’s girlfriend had left him and he had lost his job at a local cement works. He had also been the target of hate mail and death threats. Passing sentence, Judge Philip Statman said that while this was ‘troubling’, vilification for his acts was ‘perfectly understandable’. He also drew comparisons between McKenna’s ‘abhorrent and appalling acts’ to actual rape of a real child, and said he had no doubt that McKenna planned to have full sex with ‘Lisa’. He said: “Over the course of three-and-a-half weeks you groomed that child. You disclosed your true age to her an an early stage but you proceeded to encourage her towards sexual activity with you. “You sent her explicit pictures, you commented on what you would like to do to her and what she should do to you. “You sent her diagrams of positions in which sex could take place. You mentioned the use of a condom, that you would need to be very careful indeed and you expressed to her the fact that you would be gentle with her. “In my judgement you had one intention and that was to have full sexual intercourse with a child aged 11. “We now know of course that no such child existed and that this is an offence committed as an act of facilitation, there being no real child upon which you could practise the abhorrent acts of which I have been told about today.” The judge said the court had a duty to protect children, even though in this case the child was fictitious. He added that while a probation report decided McKenna was of medium risk of reoffending, there was a ‘very long way to go’ before he had full understanding of his sick behaviour. Judge Statman also remarked that McKenna had ‘succeeded in destroying’ his family. “This particular criminal activity required a significant degree of planning. “There was grooming behaviour and there was specific targeting of a vulnerable child, a pseudo child who was 11. “Any child subject to this type of activity would have suffered severe physical and psychological harm.” September 2016 Paedophile snared after buying condoms for meeting with ’11-year-old girl’ he had lured for sex while fiancee was away on HEN DO A pervert who had brought condoms with him ready to have sex with an 11-year-old girl while his fiancée was on a hen do was instead met by vigilante investigators. Mark McKenna was snared by the hunters after arranging to meet up with the child, after he had spent a month grooming her. The 38-year-old planned to meet her at a shopping centre in the middle of the day while his partner was away, but was greeted by three investigators. He was later arrested by police and admitted his plan to sexually abuse the 11-year-old. He will be sentenced next month. Footage taken by the group who call themselves The Hunted One shows him being confronted as he realises his would-be victim does not exist. The clip captures McKenna, who says he has a child, wearing large sunglasses and a red polo shirt as he waits for the teenager in the car park of Bluewater Shopping Centre. He confirms who he is before unexpectedly telling the men “I was expecting you”, and confessing he had been trying to meet the child. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCFDEFHGZfI The men show McKenna pictures of the messages he had been exchanging with the girl, and pictures he had sent her. They ask him if he thinks what has done is acceptable and he shakes his head. After admitting he sent the teenager “quite a few” explicit pictures – 20 in total – and a video of him masturbating, he tells the men he thinks things with his fiancée will be alright if he “can keep it quiet”. The vigilantes reply: “No we can’t keep it quiet. This is going to go all over social media.” McKenna, of Northfleet, Kent, replies: “Alright, well, I’d rather it not.” One of the men says: “You would rather it not because it was an 11-year-old child you thought you was chatting to. “Unfortunately for you, you was chatting to me.” Before McKenna is reminded the police are on their way he asks: “OK, well can we do it somewhere quieter?” One of the men tells McKenna his case is “the worst one I have ever come across”. He adds: “Even when you were at work you were sending us pictures of you in your uniform with your c*** out. Do you know what it actually does to a child of that age?” McKenna replies: “It mentally disturbs them.” “So why did you do it then?” the man asks. McKenna says: “I don’t know,” prompting one of the vigilante inspectors to retort: “There’s a good reason why you’ve done it. It’s cos you’re a nonce mate.” Disturbing snippets of McKenna’s conversation with the child are also read aloud in the video. One message apparently read: “You do know that I’m 38 and you have to be my daughter for the day. “We can’t be boyfriend and girlfriend.” Another text sent by McKenna said: “Have you ever kissed or touched a willy?” A second video shows him being confronted by police officers, who lead him away. McKenna was charged after the sting on August 6 and initially denied any wrongdoing but, at a hearing at Maidstone crown court on Monday, he confessed. He pleaded guilty to one count of initiating, arranging or facilitating an act with the intention of engaging in a sexual activity with a child. He will be sentenced next month.