Paedophile who called himself 'daddy' stung by hunter group during visit to Pontefract
A paedophile called himself ‘daddy’ as he traded sickening messages with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl online.
Luke Smith made contact with the supposed youngster on the social media app, Whisper, which was actually a decoy account run by a hunter group looking to snare online predators.
Smith, who is from the Birmingham area, sent pictures of his genitals and videos of people having sex, then later claimed he was not sexually attracted to the youngster- a claim the judge labelled “utter nonsense”.
The 34-year-old appeared at Leeds Crown Court and admitted attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, and attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity.
The court heard that he made contact with with the decoy profile on March 15, 2023.
After the girl said she was only 13, Smith said “nah” and appeared to back off. But four days later he made contact again and said: “I just knew I will be horny”.
For the first two weeks it was innocuous chat, but he then started making sexual suggestions and told her: “Daddy can’t wait.”
On a visit to Pontefract to visit family in August 2023, he was confronted by the group and then arrested.
He was interviewed twice, eight months apart, and gave no comments each time.
Smith, of Hoggs Lane, Birmingham, has no previous convictions.
Little mitigation was invited by the judge, who said he would not lock him up.
But his barrister Shila Whitehead did say that Smith’s relationship at the time was in “turmoil” and he had “nowhere to turn”.
She said he got “sucked in” to the online platform and had on intention of meeting the supposed girl.
Smith had penned a letter to Judge Robin Mairs to explain his actions.
Judge Mairs said: “I’m not convinced by your letter. It’s well worded but to claim you did not have any sexual attraction to what you believed to be a 13-year-old girl is utter nonsense.”
He gave him a 20-month sentence, suspended for two years, 30 rehabilitation days with probation and 150 hours of unpaid work.
A sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), to curb his internet use and allow it to be monitored, will be imposed at a later date.