SANDEEP KUMAR CAUGHT IN COVENTRY BY PAEDOPHILE HUNTER WHILE TRYING TO MEET 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL
In January 2018, a disturbing case unfolded involving a married man from Coventry who was caught attempting to meet a 14-year-old girl after grooming her online for two weeks.The man, identified as Sandeep Kumar, had traveled approximately 100 miles from his residence in Dane Road, Southall, Middlesex, to Coventry with the intent of engaging in sexual activity with the young girl.
His plans were thwarted when he was confronted by a self-styled paedophile hunter, Joseph Haggerty, who had set up a fake online profile under the alias 'Abi'.
Haggerty, a member of the group known as Lady Godiva Hunters, specializes in catching online predators by creating profiles that mimic young girls and waiting for potential offenders to initiate contact.
Haggerty's group aims to protect children by exposing those who seek to exploit them.
According to prosecutor John Brotherton, Haggerty's method involves posing as a young girl on various chat platforms, revealing her age to attract predators.
Once contact is established, the predator is engaged in conversations that often turn sexual.
In this case, Kumar, who was using the alias 'Raj', initiated contact with the fake profile on November 18, 2017.
The chat quickly escalated into sexually explicit exchanges, with Kumar asking 'Abi' to perform oral sex and sending a photograph of his private parts.
He also requested that she touch herself and show her actions via webcam.
As the conversations progressed, Kumar and 'Abi' arranged to meet in person.
'Abi' claimed she lived with her mother, who worked night shifts, leaving her alone at her home in Dawes Close, Coventry.
On December 3, Kumar drove the 100 miles from Southall to Coventry, bringing along a bottle of WKD as a token to prove his identity.
Upon arrival, he was met in the street by Haggerty, who revealed his true identity and intentions.
Following his arrest, Kumar was taken into custody and later appeared at Warwick Crown Court.
During questioning, he admitted to browsing profiles of girls aged between 14 and 20 and acknowledged that his exchanges with 'Abi' were sexual in nature, fully aware of her age.
He confessed to having an interest in children and admitted to contacting other girls he believed to be 14 with the intent to meet them.
Defense lawyer Ian Windridge acknowledged that Kumar's online searches were inappropriate, but emphasized that no actual girl was exposed to any harm or explicit images during the conversations.
He pointed out that Kumar, who is married and expecting a child, had already served a month in jail since his arrest and argued that a suspended sentence would be appropriate.
Judge Anthony Potter sentenced Kumar to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years.
He also ordered Kumar to participate in a rehabilitation activity and to register as a sex offender for ten years.
The judge emphasized the seriousness of Kumar's intentions, stating, “You agreed to meet up with someone you believed to be a 14-year-old girl who was on her own at home, with the intention of engaging in sexual activity with her.
Had Abi existed, I have no doubt I would have concluded this was a case of raised harm – but she didn’t.”
