A retired solicitor was caught by a paedophile hunter who posed on the Internet as a 14-year-old girl.
David Bond, 71, had expected to meet a schoolgirl called “Jess” at Hemel Hempstead railway station, but was confronted instead by members of group called Team Impact who track down potential child abusers.
Bond who had booked a £300 a night room at a nearby hotel had with him swimsuits he’d bought for the youngster, sex toys, condoms and a pregnancy testing kit.
Bond of Ferry Quays, Brentford, Middlesex was found guilty last month by a jury at Luton Crown Court of attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming.
Sentence had adjourned until yesterday (May 22) by Judge Barbara Mensah who wanted reports.
Judge Mensah told the father of five grown up daughters: “This must be a custodial sentence and that is the sentence I impose”
She jailed Bond who had once been a pillar of his community to 18 months.
“You have brought shame not only on yourself but also on your family,” the judge said.
Bond’s neighbours first knew about his shameful activities when the paedophile hunters posted footage of his capture online.
The court heard yesterday (May 22) it was between December 2017 and January of 2018 that Bond began making contact with someone online who he thought was a 14 year old girl called Jess
The profile clearly indicated the girl was vulnerable and troubled, but it didn’t stop Bond grooming her for sex
In fact it was a fake profile posted by members of Team Impact to snare online perverts such as Bond.
On January 27 last year Bond arrived by train in Hemel Hempstead to meet the girl, but was confronted instead by the group who videoed his shame and detained him until the police arrived.
It was discovered Bond, who had said to “Jess” he was in his 50s, had brought along a Ted Baker girl’s swim suit and another make of swim suit which were both 12 to 13 years old in size.
He’d booked a hotel with a pool and it was clear was planning to have sex with the girl.
Before sentencing his barrister Julia Flanagan told the court Bond’s 36 year old marriage had ended as a result of the offence.
She said he had once been a local charity fund raiser in his community and was on the residents committee.
But after his neighbours had seen for themselves the footage that had been put YouTube of his capture by the paedophile hunters, he had been shunned.
He was jailed for 18 months, made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and his name will go on the sex offenders register for the next 10 years.
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