An Irishman arrested for child grooming offences following an alleged sting by a vigilante group in the UK remains in custody ahead of a trial there.
Dubliner David McGregor, 49, was confronted by a so-called ‘paedo hunter’ group, Predator Exposure – whose work led to the conviction of former RTE producer Kieran Creaven, who was recently sentenced for child sex offences. The group claims that it hunts down and unmasks suspected paedophiles in ‘sting operations’.
The ‘paedo hunters’ confronted McGregor when he flew into Leeds Airport late last week as they claimed he was grooming a 13-year-old. They also claimed he was meeting what he believed to be a 13-year-old child which was in fact a ‘decoy’ child online with whom he had been communicating with.
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The group claimed that McGregor, of The Hardwicke, Smithfield in Dublin 7, was never in online contact with a child but rather with the group of ‘vigilante paedophile hunters.’ McGregor denied knowing he was talking to a child.
In a video seen by The Star, the vigilantes confronted McGregor as he left the airport. They read him explicit messages which they claimed he had sent the ‘decoy’ child online.
They also accused him of booking a hotel for two nights to ‘rape’ the child. They read out messages which they claimed McGregor sent saying he “would show her a good time,” and “will teach her sexual things”.
He also admitted on camera he had condoms in his bag. The group claimed that he also asked the ‘decoy’ child online for indecent images and wanted the ‘child’ to be naked on video calls to her.
They also alleged he sent the ‘child’ four videos of himself completely naked and masturbating. He also allegedly told the child ‘sex won’t hurt you’ and she had to trust him.
And he told the child that they won’t get into trouble if it’s kept a secret. The group streamed the entire 50 minute of their confrontation live on Facebook where 6.9k people watched it and 1.4k shared it.
Founder of Predator Exposure, Phil Hoban, asked McGregor: “Do you remember the RTE producer Kieran Creaven we caught? It was all over your news. You know who I am don’t you?”
McGregor then claimed he didn’t know who Hoban was and had never heard of the work of the paedophile hunters group. Just before the live video ended, police in the UK arrested McGregor.
He has since appeared before Leeds Magistrates Court charged with arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence contrary to Section 14 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. His case has now been sent to Leeds Crown Court and he has been remanded in custody.
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