Undercover police officers posed as a 14-year-old boy on the gay app Grindr to trap a Dunstable paedophile. Timothy Garland, 49, had sexually explicit chat with someone he thought was called “Alfie Whitehouse.”
Prosecutor Tim Naik told Luton Crown Court that during the conversations “Alfie” told him he was 14 on a number of occasions and made reference to his school. Garland sent over photographs of himself, including two indecent ones.
The police tracked down Garland’s address and arrested him in June last year. Garland of Kirkstone Drive, Dunstable appeared for sentence having pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication and attempting to meet a child after grooming.
Defending, Janice Brennan said he was of previous good character and had admitted the offences straight away. She said that during the conversations Garland was “trying to back away.”
“He realised what he had done was grossly improper and he stopped it,” she said.
Ms Brennan said Garland had deleted his Grindr account and it was the undercover police who were prompting him to make a date. She said Garland had since paid for counselling to get to the bottom of why he had set himself off on a path of self-destruction.”
Judge Michael Simon told Garland the courts take cases such as his very seriously. He passed an 18 jail sentence suspended for 18 months.
Garland must complete 25 rehabilitation days, carry out 120 hours’ unpaid work and pay £425 costs. In addition he must abide by the terms of a sexual harm prevention order and register as a sex offender for 10 years.
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