Paedophile who told 13-year-old he would take her virginity is jailed

Lee Knowles, 41, was caught in February 2022 after a paedophile hunting group tracked him down to a supermarket car park.

Examination of chat messages sent by Knowles showed he had been sending out friend requests on Facebook, Lincoln Crown Court heard.

These included messages which were sent to a decoy profile set up by the paedophile hunting group who Knowles believed was a 13-year-old girl.

Neil Sands, prosecuting, said Knowles told the decoy, who was in fact an adult, that she was "pretty" and asked to see some photos.

Knowles also made a comment that "I would marry someone like you if a bit older" and added "I will take your virginity," the court heard.

Mr Sands said the messages showed Knowles was also in contact with a second decoy who he believed was a 13-year-old girl.

Further analysis of his phone showed Knowles had also been in contact with two other people who he believed were under-age girls.

Knowles, of no fixed address, admitted four charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child but failed to attend court when he was due to be sentenced.

He was arrested by police after being found in Skegness and remanded into custody.

The court heard Knowles had 33 previous convictions but none for sexual offences.

In mitigation, the court heard Knowles was "sofa surfing" and drinking heavily at the time of the offences and had no memory of contacting the decoy girls.

Passing sentence Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight told Knowles it was clear he had been sending out friend requests on Facebook.

Judge Sjolin Knight said the contact continued despite the age of the four profiles and his "messages quickly became sexual."

"The attempt was not for the want of trying," Judge Sjolin Knight added.

Knowles was also ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period.