NEIL TRANMER AND KERRY BURDALL CAUGHT IN HULL PAEDOPHILE PLOT AT BRIDLINGTON RAILWAY STATION
A disturbing incident unfolded at Bridlington railway station involving a couple from Hull, Neil Tranmer and Kerry Burdall, who believed they were about to meet a 14-year-old girl for sexual activity.Their plans were thwarted when they were unexpectedly confronted by seven members of an online paedophile hunters group, who had set up a sting operation to catch online predators.
The Hull Crown Court heard that Tranmer, aged 35 and formerly residing on Clarence Road in Bridlington but recently living in Hornsea, along with his 39-year-old partner Burdall, of Limedane on the Orchard Park estate in Hull, had admitted to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a minor between April 13 and 19, 2021.
Prosecutor Harry Bradford explained that an online protection group had created profiles of fictitious girls aged between 10 and 14, aiming to identify and apprehend individuals involved in online sexual offenses.
In this case, Burdall had sent a friend request to a decoy Facebook account representing a 14-year-old girl.
Her initial message asked, "Hi.
How old are you?" The decoy responded, "I'm 14.
How old are you?" Burdall then revealed her age, stating she was 36, and included a photograph along with a message claiming, "That's my boyfriend." She continued to ask if the girl wanted to share her boyfriend, suggesting a sexual relationship and even discussing pregnancy.
Further messages showed Burdall asking if the girl wanted to have sex with her boyfriend, Neil, and whether she could get pregnant.
She also asked if the girl wanted her to tell her mother she was visiting a friend, implying an attempt to conceal their intentions.
The decoy girl expressed curiosity about pregnancy, to which Burdall responded affirmatively, and they exchanged messages about the possibility of the girl having sex with Neil.
Burdall even encouraged the girl to add Neil on Facebook.
Subsequently, Neil Tranmer also engaged in conversations with the decoy, confirming he was Burdall’s boyfriend and asking if she wanted him as her boyfriend too.
The decoy revealed she was 14 and had never had a boyfriend before.
During these exchanges, Tranmer asked if she wanted to get pregnant and sent two explicit photographs of himself.
He also inquired about her underwear and posed sexual questions, indicating a clear intent to pursue a sexual encounter.
Arrangements were made for the girl to meet Tranmer and Burdall at Bridlington railway station at 1:10 pm.
As the pair continued to exchange messages about sexual activity, the online paedophile hunters arrived at the station.
They observed Tranmer and Burdall waiting there and confronted them during a live-streamed encounter.
The police were immediately alerted to the situation.
During police interviews, Burdall expressed remorse, stating, "I should not have done it.
I feel guilty for what I have done." Tranmer claimed that Burdall had coerced him into going to the station to meet the decoy girl and insisted that he did not intend to send the explicit messages, asserting they were meant for Burdall and not the girl.
Burdall denied sending any of the messages apart from revealing her age, claiming her account had been hacked and that she did not send any photographs.
Both individuals had no prior convictions.
The court heard that Tranmer had a troubled upbringing and was suffering from personal issues, which his lawyer Michele Stuart-Lofthouse highlighted during mitigation.
Dale Brook, representing Burdall, explained that she had believed her relationship with Tranmer was mutually loving at the time and that she had since re-evaluated her situation after the offences came to light.
She was now in a new relationship with a fiancé and living in stable accommodation.
Her legal representative emphasized that no actual victim existed, as the entire scenario was based on a decoy.
Judge Richard Woolfall addressed the court, stating, "They did actually go to the railway station to meet this child.
Their intention was to follow it through.
The pair of you thought at the time that it was a real child." He pointed out that the couple had planned to have unprotected sex with the girl, which could have resulted in pregnancy.
The judge emphasized that although the girl was a decoy, Tranmer and Burdall believed she was a real 14-year-old girl and had described explicit plans and intentions in their messages.
Judge Woolfall sentenced Tranmer to two and a half years in prison and Burdall to two years and three months.
Both were also subjected to an eight-year sexual harm prevention order.
Additionally, Tranmer is required to register as a sex offender for life, while Burdall must notify her details to the police for ten years.
The court’s verdict underscored the seriousness of their actions, highlighting the deliberate nature of their plans and the potential harm that could have resulted from their intentions.
