Hull paedophile caught in online sting operation gets suspended sentence

HULL PAEDOPHILE CAUGHT IN ONLINE STING OPERATION GETS SUSPENDED SENTENCE

A paedophile identified as Terance Atkins, aged 60, was lured to Hull after believing he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl.

Atkins, originally from Birmingham, engaged in online conversations with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl, and admitted to attempts at sexual communication.

The group 'Secretly Tackling Online Predators' (STOP) set up a sting, where Atkins made contact in April 2022.

In his messages, he claimed to be 40 years old, but he was actually 58 at the time, and he expressed a desire to lie down with her in bed and kiss her, requesting photographs of her with only a towel.

He traveled to Hull where the group confronted him, leading to his arrest.

Police searched his phone and discovered searches for hotels, bed and breakfast accommodations in Hull, as well as searches related to indecent images of children.

During court proceedings, Stephen Welch stated that Atkins solicited images and that he finds it difficult to admit his sexual interest in children, making him a serious risk to children.

Atkins clarified that his family had severed contact with him, though his father and sister still supported him, and he expressed remorse, claiming he would not repeat his actions.

His son had died years earlier, and Atkins had been struggling with relationship issues, which he said led to his isolation and idle time.

Judge Mark Bury sentenced Atkins to a 10-month prison sentence suspended for two years, with a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order in place to monitor his online activity.

Additionally, Atkins was ordered to complete 30 Rehabilitation Activity days to prevent further offenses.