WAYNE SUDAMA FROM HEBBURN CAUGHT IN NCHESTER PAEDOPHILE STING

In May 2017, a disturbing incident unfolded involving Wayne Sudama, a resident of Hebburn, who was caught in a sting operation conducted by paedophile hunters known as Dark Justice. The operation was set up after Sudama engaged in online conversations with a fake profile created by the vigilante group, pretending to be a 13-year-old girl named Roxy.

Sudama, aged 41 and living on Cambridge Avenue in Hebburn, had initiated contact with the fake profile on the chat and dating platform Waplog. Over the course of their messaging, he expressed a desire to meet the girl in person, specifically suggesting a rendezvous at the Centre for Life in Newcastle city centre. The conversations revealed his intentions to engage in inappropriate activities, with Sudama making comments about alcohol and physical intimacy.

According to prosecutor Paul Reid, Sudama posted a message on the website in March 2015, claiming to be Roxy’s acquaintance. The fake profile, operated by Dark Justice, made it clear that the girl was only 13 years old. Despite this, Sudama continued to exchange messages, showing a clear interest in meeting her. He proposed they could meet in Cullercoats, mentioning he had vodka that she could drink, and warned her not to tell anyone about the alcohol consumption, implying secrecy was necessary.

Further messages indicated his intentions to meet at the Metro station, go for a walk, visit his house, and sleep on his double bed. At one point, he suggested they could “snuggle up and take it from there,” and made inappropriate comments, including calling her “so hot.” The conversations culminated in plans to meet at the Centre for Life, near the railway station in Newcastle. When Sudama arrived at the designated meeting point, members of Dark Justice identified him and intervened.

Dark Justice members contacted the police and confronted Sudama, who then walked away from the scene. Later, he voluntarily attended a police station, where he claimed he had no intention of engaging in sexual activity with the girl. Instead, he said he wanted to warn her about her online behavior and expressed frustration, stating he wanted to confront Roxy and ask her what she was doing, citing that he had children of his own.

Following the investigation, Sudama was charged with attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. He pleaded guilty to the offence at Newcastle Crown Court. Judge Stephen Earl sentenced him to 14 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. The judge also ordered Sudama to participate in a rehabilitation program, sign the sex offenders register for ten years, and pay court costs of £1,000 along with a victim surcharge of £140.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Earl emphasized the seriousness of Sudama’s actions, stating, “You went online and entered into a course of a lengthy conversation knowing that the person you were speaking to was a girl under the age of 16 — that was made clear at the outset. But you maintained it and took it in a direction. You should have immediately terminated the conversation with Roxy and stopped contact with her. In the circumstances, you made comments about ‘not saying anything’. These were more than past the actions of someone that meets with a child and that child needs ‘telling off’. You took it way past that point.”

He further explained that the sentence was suspended because there was still a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, highlighting the importance of appropriate intervention in such cases.