A SCHOOL crossing patrol man has been jailed after he was caught attempting to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old girl for sex.
Stephen Cordy, 55, messaged a social media account set up by a member of a paedophile hunter group on 11th April.
They began messaging, and the decoy account stated she was 15 years old.
Cordy said he worked in a school and asked how he would know the account was not an undercover police officer or a decoy, prosecutor Sian Cutter said.
The decoy sent two pictures of an “age appropriate” girl, and Cordy replied that she was “pretty” and asked about the school she went to.
They arranged for him to come to her house in Drefach on Sunday, 16th April.
He asked if he should bring anything, and when asked what, Cordy suggested she might want to tie him up.
“She said she wanted a cuddle, and [Cordy] said it may lead to other things,” Ms Cutter said.
He added he would bring a condom, and when the decoy expressed surprise, the defendant said she “would be fine as [she] had done it before”.
On the agreed date, Cordy messaged the decoy saying he was at the address. The man behind the decoy account left his address and walked down the street to confront him – recording the meeting.
“He said he was only planning to meet her for a coffee and a chat,” said Ms Cutter.
Cordy tried to walk away, but the man threatened to post the video on social media if he did. Cordy admitted bringing condoms to the meeting but said he always carried them.
Following the confrontation, Cordy drove off, and the man noted down his registration number.
The court heard the man did not contact the police – later saying he was busy moving house – but did post the video on social media.
Ms Cutter said several members of the public contacted the police concerned about the content of the video.
Cordy was arrested by police on 28th April while parked in a layby near Neath.
Ms Williams, defending, said: “I cannot offer the court any reasons for the offending.
“He expresses a willingness to work with the probation service, but because he won’t recognise his offending behaviour for what it is, they feel they are unable to manage the risk.
“I’m afraid I’m in a difficult position to argue for anything other than an immediate prison sentence.”
Ms Williams said that Cordy, who had pleaded guilty to the offences, had no previous convictions.
The court heard Cordy remained silent when interviewed by police.
“You had nothing to say. You couldn’t have said anything. The game was up,” said Judge Huw Rees.
“This is a significant fall from grace for you in terms of your relationship with your wife, your accommodation, and your job prospects in the future.”
Judge Rees sentenced Cordy to 13 months in prison for meeting a child after sexual grooming and six months – running concurrently – for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
Cordy, of no fixed abode, must register as a sex offender for 10 years and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.
