'Stupid' pervert from Leeds told supposed 13-year-old that her age was 'sexy'
A pervert who tried to latch onto a 13-year-old girl online was caught out by an online paedophile hunter group, but only after he had sent her explicit photos and videos.
Vile Graham Dunham told the fake profile that he found her age “sexy” and pestered her with questions about masturbation.
The profile was set up by Saving Children’s Futures online group, looking to trap predatory paedophiles.
Leeds Crown Court heard that Dunham made contact in November 2023. He made seuxal remarks and told her he was masturbating as she messaged him back, prosecutor Zanisha Herbert told the court.
He then sent a photo of his erect penis through his clothes, asked for photos of her nipples and wanted a picture of her in a “nice tight top”.
The 41-year-old then sent her a video of himself masturbating. He told her it was “our little secret” and that she should not tell anyone.
But Dunham then backtracked, telling the profile: “I’m so stupid. I should not have done this.”
He said that if she was still interested when she was 16, she could contact him.
The hunter group confronted him at his home on Greenlea Avenue, Yeadon, and the police were called to arrest him.
He admitted attempting to cause a child to look at sexual activity, attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
He has no previous convictions. No mitigation was offered by his barrister after Judge Christopher Batty said he would not lock him.
Key to this was Dunham’s decision to “desist” from the conversation.
He told Dunham: “I can see from the shame you feel how you feel about what you have done.
“There can be no getting away from it being very serious. Had there been a child, you would be going to custody.
“But you have never been in trouble before. It came at a very low time of your life and you voluntarily said: ‘We should not be doing this’.
“It seems to me that the public would be better served and protected by the imposition of a structured and focussed accredited programme to work on the issues you clearly have, rather than send you to custody.”
He gave him 16 months’ jail, suspended for two years, and ordered him to complete the Building Choices programme, along with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
He was put on the sex offender register for 10 years and given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to curb his internet use.