Court told King's Lynn man caught by paedophile hunting group

A 69-year-old Lynn grandfather was caught grooming what he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

In fact Raymond King was messaging a decoy belonging to a paedophile hunting group led by a former police officer.

The ex-officer, posing as the girl, arranged a meeting and called police when he turned up at the agreed place and found King there.

Lynn Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday that King groomed ‘her’ with contact every day for two months, even while he was away on holiday.

The defendant, of Russett Close, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child between July 1 and September 17, 2020.

Prosecutor Amy Bush said King knew ‘the girl’ was 14 and sent photographs of naked women. “He groomed her daily over two months.

“He said she could ask him about sex and he would tell her anything. He was making out that all her friends would be doing things and she was the one who was not.

“He also made out that girls as young as 14 sent photos to him.”

Miss Bush said his conduct included leading ‘the girl’ to chat programmes which were encrypted.

The details of a video which King sent cannot be reported.

The court heard the sting was completed when lorry driver King parked for the night and was confronted by the former police officer.

King was committed to Norwich Crown Court for sentencing on a date to be fixed.

He was ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register within three days of the hearing and was granted bail with the condition he does not have unsupervised contact with anyone aged under 18.