He ended up in court when his first instincts proved right
An online pervert became “nervous” that he was being lured into a “trap” when he started chatting with a 14-year-old girl in a “dark corner of the internet” – but he convinced himself that she was “real” and that it was not a trap. Steven Duffy even told the girl: “I was so nervous that it was a trap but I am pretty sure you are real and it’s not a trap.”
But he got a nasty shock when his first instincts proved to be right and the teenager turned out to be a decoy set up by a group that was “fighting against evil” on the internet, Hull Crown Court heard. Duffy, 56, of Leads Road, Hull, admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite or cause a girl to engage in sexual activity, between November 21, 2023 and March 21, 2024.
Jane Rapin, prosecuting, said that an online voluntary group, set up to fight “evil” on the internet, created a decoy account for a 14-year-old girl. Duffy sent five messages to the fake girl on November 21, 2023.
He acknowledged that she was 14 and told her: “That’s OK, darling. Shame you’re not 18 xx.” They chatted about music and friends and he asked her if she liked older men.
“He said that he was going to try really hard to behave himself,” said Miss Rapin. He “wanted to say something rude” and told her that she was sexy. The talk turned to sexual matters.
Duffy said that he was “doing something naughty” and asked her to guess what it was. “He told her that he wanted to be her first when she was 16,” said Miss Rapin.
Duffy said that he was “having naughty thoughts” and was feeling “fruity”. He suggested that the girl delete her messages because “it might be safer” because he “would hate them to get into bother just for messaging each other”.
Duffy sent her a Facebook friend request and asked her whether she was a decoy or a real 14-year-old. He told the fake girl: “I was so nervous that it was a trap but I am pretty sure you are real and it’s not a trap.”
Duffy was arrested on March 21, 2024 and he admitted that he deleted the chat when he became aware that police were at his home. He claimed that the chats were “maybe just a bit of bravado” but he admitted that he was aware that sexual chat with a girl was an offence.
“There was grooming behaviour used against the victim and there was a significant disparity in their ages,” said Miss Rapin. Duffy had convictions for three previous offences dating back 2009 and 2010 but nothing of a similar nature.
Jazmine Lee, mitigating, said that Duffy pleaded guilty at an early stage. “He is mortified at his behaviour,” said Miss Lee. “He is deeply ashamed and he is disgusted at what he has engaged in.
“It was very disturbing and wrong behaviour. He got into a dark place and entered this dark corner of the internet. He was discovered and arrested by the police.
“He understood that his time was up and he had to confront the behaviour that he was engaging in. He has been out of trouble since 2010. He has nothing like this on his record. This was, thankfully, a decoy child.”
Duffy was ordered to do 26 sessions of a probation service treatment programme and 15 days’ rehabilitation. He was given a five-year sexual harm prevention order and he must register as a sex offender for five years.
Judge Tahir Khan KC told Duffy: “There was not, in fact, a child but you believed that there was. If you are in breach of this order, the court may have no option but to sent you to custody.”