Paedophile arrested at New Pudsey railway station after grooming '14-year-old girl' during paedophile hunter group online sting

Bhupinder Dev was arrested in the car park at New Pudsey railway station after being confronted by members of a paedophile hunter group.

The 41-year-old had spent four days sending sexual messages and grooming what he thought was a schoolgirl after he was sent a picture of the youngster holding a teddy bear.

Dev sent messages to the 'girl' arranging to meet her at the railway station.

He told her to turn up wearing a short skirt and to bring Vaseline with her.

Leeds Crown Court heard Dev was in fact sending messages to an adult man posing as a child as part of an operation to expose paedophiles.

Mark McKone, prosecuting, said the defendant sent a friend request to the girl called Emily on an adult dating site.

'Emily' responded by sending a picture of a teenage girl with a teddy bear.

He asked Emily where she lived and she responded saying she lived in Pudsey.

Dev replied stating that he worked as an architect in Bradford and drove through Pudsey every day to get to work.

The conversation became sexual and Dev described how he wanted to commit sex acts on the girl.

He also made sexual remarks about the girl's mother and asked if she had any siblings.

During one message he wrote: "I am 40. I am old enough to be your dad."

Dev was arrested at the railway station on September 30, 2018, after setting up a meeting only to be confronted by members of the paedophile hunter group.

Dev, of Allerton Grange Croft, Leeds, pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

Robin Freize, mitigating, said the offending had cost Dev his marriage and his relationship with his two children.

The barrister said Dev had been receiving help to address his offending through the Safer Lives and the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.

Mr Freize said his client has not been in trouble in the two years since his arrest and is unlikely to offend in the future.

Dev was given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was also placed on the sex offenders register for ten years.

Judge Robin Mairs said: "Your life prior to the commission of these offences has been utterly destroyed.

"You are the author of your own misfortune in that regard.

"You brought it on yourself."