An international student who was caught by online paedophile hunters trying to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old girl for sex has been jailed for three years.
Anderson Ishiekwene, a 25-year-old Nigerian national,
was arrested in Washington eight days after starting a sexual conversation with
a decoy profile online, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
He had exchanged more than 300 pages of messages with
the decoy run by the paedophile hunter group, including multiple requests for
the "girl" to delete his messages.
Ishiekwene admitted attempting to engage in sexual
communications with a child and was found guilty of attempting to meet a child
following sexual grooming.
He arrived in the UK from Nigeria on a student visa in
August 2025 and settled in Sunderland, the court heard.
On 2 January, he messaged the profile of a 14-year-old
girl on Facebook, with the pair moving to WhatsApp to message further,
prosecutor Cole Cockburn said.
'Normal relationship things'
Ishiekwene was repeatedly told the girl he thought he
was messaging was 14, the court heard.
Over the following days he asked her about school and
her uniform, as well as intimate questions about her body.
He asked for pictures of her and sent her an image of
his naked groin, the court heard, but also throughout their interaction made
repeated requests for her to delete his messages, jurors were told.
When she refused to send him pictures, he would say it
was "unfair" and told her it was a "normal thing for people to
do in a relationship", Cockburn said.
Automatic deportation
They agreed to meet at the Galleries in Washington on
10 January, with him saying he wanted to kiss and sexually touch her like
"lovers", but when he got off the bus he was met by members of the
paedophile hunting group and police were called to arrest him, the court heard.
Ishiekwene denied going to meet the "girl"
for sexual reasons but was found guilty after a three-day trial
Judge Robert Spragg said the sexual activity
Ishiekwene planned for 10 January was a "precursor" to an intention
for full sex on a future occasion.
He said in the view of the probation service there was
"little doubt" Ishiekwene was "attracted to children".
Upon his release from prison, Ishiekwene would most
likely be subject to automatic deportation, the judge said.
Ishiekwene was also ordered to sign the sex offenders
register and comply with a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.
BBC News Africa.
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