Pervert tried to meet 14-year-old in Leeds for sex, telling her: 'I wish I could be your first'

By Charles Gray
Published 18th Nov 2022, 11:30 BST
Updated 18th Nov 2022, 13:38 BST
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A man that travelled to Leeds in the hope of meeting a 14-year-old girl for sex was lured in by a group of paedophile hunters.

Marc Gelder – who is known as James – travelled to Leeds to meet a child he had spoken to online, which was in fact a decoy operated by a member of a vigilante group.

Gelder, 33, of Belle View Street, Filey, initiated the conversation with the decoy in July 2020 through a social media website that Leeds Crown Court was told is known to be used by young people.

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He was sentenced for attempting to meet a child following grooming and for communicating sexually with a child. He was also found to be in possession of indecent images of children.

Marc Gelder opened the conversation with the decoy by saying: "Hi. I like young girls." (library photo)Marc Gelder opened the conversation with the decoy by saying: "Hi. I like young girls." (library photo)
Marc Gelder opened the conversation with the decoy by saying: "Hi. I like young girls." (library photo)

He started the conversation with the decoy saying: “Hi. I like young girls.”

When the decoy told Gelder that she was 14, he replied: “I loved when you said your age.”

The conversation moved to WhatsApp, during which Gelder said “I love how young you are” and requested the decoy send photos. He asked the decoy to stay at his house and sent sexually explicit messages, saying: “I wish I could be your first.”

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Gelder also sent a picture of his genitalia to the decoy, adding that he would “get done if anyone found out”.

He arranged to meet the decoy on August 16 2020, telling her to get off a bus on York Road. On the day of the meeting numerous members of the vigilante group waited for Gelder, with one member resembling the profile picture used by the decoy.

When Gelder arrived members of the group surrounded him and broadcasted footage live on Facebook. Gelder covered his face with his hood and was “saying he’s ashamed”.

Police arrived and arrested Gelder. Items at his home were later recovered and indecent images – 12 of which were of the most serious kind – were found on his phone.

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Gelder pleaded guilty to the five charges and was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday. It was heard that he’d expressed “genuine horror at the way he behaved”.

He was given a two year sentence, suspended for two years, placed under a sex offenders programme and given a sexual harm prevention order.