May 2018 Pervert believed he had been chatting to girls aged 12 to 14 RICKY Martin Bradley thought he was chatting up girls aged 12 and 14 online. But Mold Crown Court heard he was speaking to an online child protection team They were decoy volunteers from the National Child Protection Group who confronted him at his place of work over his conversations on the web in which he said he loved them, that he wanted a relationship with some of them and that they were beautiful. The 27-year-old later told police he could not help himself. The case had been adjourned previously to see if a suitable address could be found for him so that he could undergo intensive work with the probation service. His mother’s home in Prince of Wales Avenue in Flint was not suitable because of its close proximity to a school, the court was told. Probation officers had tried to get him accommodation but had been told that if he did receive a suspended sentence then he should present himself as homeless. Judge Huw Rees said if a suitable address had been available to him then he would have seriously considered a more constructive approach of a suspended sentence so he could undergo the social skills training which he needed. But in the circumstances he imposed a 12 month prison sentence – six months after Bradley admitted five offences of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and a further six months for being in breach of a suspended prison sentence for earlier similar offending. He was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for 10 years and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order was made. Reports on Bradley showed he had a social anxiety disorder and a probable schizotypal personality disorder. But the judge said he would have known how wrong it was to have committed the offences. He had held down periods of employment in the past and knew how wrong his actions were. Bradley was assessed as posing medium level harm to young girls aged between 12 and 14. The judge said he had to take into account that the offences were attempts and added that if he had actually been talking to young girls then the sentence would have been longer. The added Bradley had made admissions to the police, he was still young and was vulnerable himself and it was not his fault that no suitable accommodation could be found for him. It had been hoped that his lack of social skills and his unhealthy sexual interest in young girls could have been addressed in the community. The judge said in view of the time spent on remand Bradley would be released in about a month and he would then be on licence when he would be supervised by the probation service. But he warned that if he re-offended then he would be in a much more serious position. Barrister Jade Tufael, prosecuting, said the offences between January and last October came to light after he entered into conversations with who he thought were girls aged 12 to 14 but who turned out to be a vigilante group of online volunteers who operated as decoys. He clearly believed the girls were young and he would describe them as sexy and beautiful, call them babe or baby and he told one he believed she would be a good kisser. There were highly sexualised online conversations. The organisation found out Bradley’s identification and confronted him as he left work. Police were called and given a bundle of evidence upon which the case relied. A suspended sentence had been imposed in August last year after he admitted meeting a girl under 16 following grooming. January 2018 Paedophile caught by paedophile hunters A man who groomed six girls online despite being banned from doing so was snared by an online child protection team who filmed the moment he discovered who they really were. Ricky Martin Bradley believed he was chatting to girls aged 12 and 13, asked to meet some of them, and suggested they have a relationship. But he didn’t know he was speaking to an online decoy for “paedophile hunters” group National Child Protectors, who captured their encounter with Bradley on camera. After his arrest, Bradley told police he could not stop himself and claimed not to know why he was doing it. He appeared from custody at Flintshire Magistrates’ Court at Mold today, admitted six offences of sexual grooming, and was remanded in custody to be sentenced at Mold Crown Court next month. Bradley, 27, of Prince of Wales Avenue in Flint, was already on a suspended prison sentence from the crown court last summer for doing the same thing, the court heard. Prosecutor Rhian Jackson said that, in August, the defendant received a 12-month suspended prison sentence for two offences of grooming. He was then placed on rehabilitation and ordered to register with the police as a sex offender, and a sexual harm prevention order was made. But it turned out that this month he had contacted six girls online, believing them to be aged 12 and 13, and that contact was sexual. But the victims were fictitious, said Mrs Jackson. A woman had volunteered to act as an online decoy for National Child Protectors, which looked for those involved in paedophile activities online. She created false profiles of girls in chat rooms on social media, and Bradley had conversations with them of a sexual nature. Arrested and interviewed, he made full admissions.  He admitted that it was wrong and that he believed them to be under age. Mrs Jackson said: “He apologised, he said he needed help, but said he could not stop himself.” He claimed that he would not have met up with a child and could not explain why he had asked to meet in chat logs or why he had asked some of them to have a relationship with him. On the face of it, he would be in breach of his sexual harm prevention order, but he had not been charged with it bearing in mind the persons he was chatting to were not under 16. Mrs Jackson said that, in view of his previous convictions and the fact that he was on a suspended sentence, the case should be sent to the crown court. The fact that he had said he could not help himself meant that he should be remanded in custody, she said. Bradley had told police that he did not want to go home. His mother had told him “not to come back” if he ever did anything like that again. Fiona Larkin, defending, asked for a pre-sentence report and said the defendant had not had an opportunity to start the rehabilitation which had been ordered last summer. Magistrates remanded him in custody to appear at Mold Crown Court on February 1. August 2017 Man who groomed 14-year-old on Facebook thought others ‘overreacted’ to it, says judge A man who claimed that he and a 14-year-old girl would make a lovely couple thought others “overreacted” to his grooming of her, said a judge. Ricky Martin Bradley, 26, of Cwrt yr Ysgol, Prince of Wales Avenue, Flint, admitted arranging to meet a child after sexual grooming at Mold Crown Court today. He was given a suspended prison sentence but was warned by a judge that he did not appear to appreciate how serious his behaviour had been. Judge David Hale said he was worried by some of Bradley’s comments in his pre-sentence report. “You think everyone has overreacted to what you have done,” he said. “We have not. You underreacted.” The court heard his victim was a vulnerable girl who had a difficult life. “You obviously fancied that young girl,” said the judge. “Twice you tried to persuade her to meet you. “It was not with a view expressed for sex at the time but for cuddles. “But it would have been totally inappropriate and who knows where it might have led. “You were very, very stupid and you have caused her a lot of harm.” Prosecuting barrister Anna Pope said the defendant became a Facebook friend of the girl, who he knew, and offered to cuddle her to warm her up. He sent a picture of a couple kissing, asked if she wanted a kiss and said she needed a boyfriend. Bradley said it would not be right if they kissed, but then asked if it would be right if they did. He asked if she wanted more, offered her a back massage and said that he had a funny feeling that they would both kiss each other after a cuddle. Miss Pope said he claimed they would make a lovely couple. Arrangements to meet were made but meetings did not take place. Bradley referred to his erection and asked her what she would do if she felt it. He said they should not have sex unless she wanted to try. She replied that she did not want to go that far. Miss Pope said the girl’s mother got to know of the messages, which ran for a three-month period up to Christmas, and the police were informed. Arrested and interviewed in January, he agreed that they exchanged messages and he said he was trying to build her confidence up. Asked about the sexualised message, he initially blamed work colleagues – but then accepted he was responsible. When police asked him what his intentions were if they did meet, he said ”just probably a quick cuddle”. The girl said she felt worried, and that it had affected her schoolwork and caused problems in her personal life. Judge Hale said she was “emotionally frail” at the time. Bradley received a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years with 40 days rehabilitation. If suitable, he must follow a programme run by the probation service. He was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for 10 years, and a five-year sexual harm prevention order was made.