Paedophile snared by undercover cop while trying to meet boy at Metro station

A paedophile who was branded a continuing danger to young boys by a judge has been jailed.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Anthony Drayner was caught by an undercover cop who was pretending to be a 14-year-old boy.

Drayner persisted in sending sexual messages despite being told several times the recipient was 14 and still at school.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Prosecutor Sean Dryden told Durham Crown Court Drayner was banned from using social media following an earlier conviction for sexual offending against boys.

Anthony DraynerAnthony Drayner
Anthony Drayner

“A profile was created on a website called Fab Guys,” said Mr Dryden.

“It is accepted the site had a notional lower age limit of 18, so a user may have thought he was contacting adults.

“But within a couple of messages the undercover officer said he was ‘only 14’.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“This information was repeated, but Drayner continued to make the conversation ever more sexual.”

The court heard Drayner asked the officer to go for a pint, but the officer said he could not because he was 14.

“He also sent the officer an indecent photograph of a child,” said Mr Dryden,

“A meeting was arranged at Monument Metro station in Newcastle when police arrested Drayner.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Drayner, 45, admitted distributing an indecent photograph, breach of a sexual harm prevention order, attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child, and attempting to meet a boy after grooming, all between February 19 and 28.

Penny Hall, defending, said in mitigation: “Mr Drayner is a lonely individual who was living with his elderly parents.

“He has problems making friends, so he accessed sites aimed at adults.

“He has low intelligence and a low IQ, he gets on much better with children than he does with people of his own age.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Judge Jonathan Carroll sentenced Drayner to 26 months in prison.

The judge told him: “You have a continuing sexual attraction to young boys.

“You struck up a conversation online which very quickly became sexual, and you persisted with that even though you believed the other person to be 14.

“You present a serious risk of harm to children.”

Drayner, of High Street, Carrville, Durham City, was made the subject of an indefinite order banning unsupervised contact with children and restricting his internet use.