Gardener, 54, armed with sex toy and lubrication caught trying to meet 13-year-old Leeds 'girl'

The profile Ronald Malcolm Barton had in fact been communicating with was a decoy set up by paedophile hunter group, Net Justice, who confronted him when he turned up in Leeds at what he thought was the girl’s home address.

Barton, of Mill Croft Estate, Otley, was hooked by the group’s online profile, purporting to be a 13-year-old by the name of Poppy, in July of last year.

Leeds Crown Court was told that he contacted the profile and she repeatedly told him was just 13, despite him turning the conversation to sexual matters, prosecutor Carmel Pearson said.

He then said he would provide her with sex education lessons, discussed meeting her, and sent her pictures of male genitalia saying he would teach her about masturbation. Barton also told her not to tell anyone.

When the decoy profile told him she would be home alone one day, he said he would visit her and bring sex toys and alcohol to “start the lesson”.

On July 9 he was confronted by members of Net Justice near the decoy address in Leeds. In his bag they found the sex aid, lubricant, condoms and alcopops.

He was arrested a short time later and went on to admit attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming, attempting to cause a child to look at sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Mitigating, Christopher Morton said Barton had become socially isolated since his partner left him in March 2020.

He said: “He tried to form new adult relationships but experienced rejection and became depressed and felt inadequate. His life was at a low ebb.”

Mr Morton said that Barton, who has no previous convictions, claimed he had no sexual interest in children before his partner left him.

Judge Christopher Batty jailed Barton for two years and gave him a 10-year sexual harm prevention order to limit his internet use.

He told him: “It’s sad that you are here today. You had led a blameless life.

"The fact that she (Poppy) did not exist you did not know that.”