RICHARD MYERS BRADFORD PAEDOPHILE CAUGHT BY LEEDS-BASED GROUP AT BRADFORD GARAGE
In January 2018, a man from Bradford was sentenced to over two years in prison after falling victim to a vigilant online group based in Leeds that specializes in exposing individuals involved in child exploitation.Richard Myers, aged 44 and residing on Manningham Lane in Bradford, had been engaged in a prolonged period of sexual grooming directed at what he believed was a 13-year-old girl.
His actions came to light after members of the group, known as Predator Exposure, identified and confronted him in October of the same year.
The court proceedings at Bradford Crown Court revealed that Myers had created a fake social media profile, which included details indicating the girl’s age, as part of his attempt to establish contact.
Prosecutor Stephen Wood explained that Myers had sent a friend request to the profile in August, under the false pretense that he was 33 years old.
During their online conversations, Myers expressed a desire to be her boyfriend and warned her not to disclose their chats to her parents.
He also sent two indecent images, further demonstrating his inappropriate intentions.
According to Mr.
Wood, Myers abruptly blocked the fake profile in October.
A few days later, members of the Predator Exposure group confronted Myers at the garage where he was employed.
During the confrontation, Myers admitted that he believed he was messaging a girl, which was confirmed by the group’s investigation.
Following this, police were contacted, and Myers was arrested.
In police interviews, Myers claimed that his computer had been hacked, attempting to justify his actions.
However, he ultimately pleaded guilty in December to multiple charges, including attempting to communicate sexually with a child, attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual acts.
Representing Myers, barrister Jayne Beckett noted that at the time of the offending, her client was binge-drinking and living alone in his flat, which may have contributed to his behavior.
Judge Jonathan Rose described Myers’ actions as “deviant” and emphasized that he had believed the profile was genuine.
As a result of his conviction, Myers was sentenced to 32 months in prison.
Additionally, he is required to register as a sex offender with the police and is prohibited from contacting girls under the age of 16, in accordance with the court’s orders.
