Sunderland sex offender back behind bars after being caught by paedophile hunters Guardians of the North

A convicted sex offender was caught by paedophile hunters when he turned up to meet a 14-year-old child he had been grooming online.
Colin MasonColin Mason
Colin Mason

Colin Mason believed he had been speaking to a schoolboy called Ryan over dating app Grindr but had been duped by Guardians of the North, an organisation which sets up fake social media profiles to snare adults looking for underage sex.

Newcastle Crown court heard the 48-year-old engaged in explicit sexual chat with who he thought was the boy and sent him an illicit photograph.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mason has previously served a three-and-a-half year prison sentence for taking and distributing indecent images of children and admitted having "sexual relations" with a 14-year-old featured in one of those photographs.

He became "aggressive" when he arrived to meet "Ryan" but was confronted by the group.

Newcastle Crown Court heard police who arrived at the scene of the snare in Sunderland in September seized Mason's phone and a memory stick was recovered from his house.

When the devices were examined, a hoard of 361 indecent pictures and movies of children, many in the most serious category of their type, were found.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mason, of Chester Terrace North, Sunderland, admitted attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming and three offences of possessing indecent photographs.

Judge Sarah Mallett sentenced him to two years and nine months behind bars with lifelong sex offender registration and sexual harm prevention order.

The judge told him: "A significant aggravating feature in relation to each of the offences is your previous convictions.

"This was an attempt, because of the nature of the attempt no child was actually put at risk. However, you did go to the meeting so you took all possible steps you could take to commit the offence."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The court heard Mason had not attended the first two meetings with "Ryan" but turned up the third time.

Alec Burns, defending, said Mason became a target for vigilantes, who smashed his windows and caravan when they found out he had been arrested.

Mr Burns said Mason got abuse from neighbours, lost his job and home and had been living with his mother.

Mr Burns added: "He spends most of his time looking at messages on his computer, conversing with people on the internet.

"He seems to have lost touch with reality."

Related topics: