A dad who set up a Facebook account in his teenage stepdaughter’s name to keep tabs on her has instead helped police catch a paedophile.
The worried stepfather set up a Facebook profile posing as teenager Sophie, after growing concerned about her friendship circle.
However to his horror, the profile was quickly targeted by Peter McCallum, who proceeded to groom the ‘girl’.
Despite being told she was underage, he gave her his phone number, telling her:
“Don’t worry, I like young girls”.
Shockingly McCallum’s contact persisted, with him even sending ‘Sophie’ an intimate picture, and asking her to meet him with an ’11-year-old friend for sexual activity'.
But when he arranged to meet them at a field near their home, it was Sophie’s stepdad and partner who turned up and called the police.
McCallum of Coventry was then arrested, and has reportedly been jailed for 32 months as well as ordered to register as a sex offender for life.
Daniel Oscroft, defending, said: “He accepts he is attracted to young girls. It’s not something he wants to have or wants to do.
“He was suffering from depression at the time. He’d lost five family members in succession over a couple of months."
"That formed the catalyst for this descent into aberrant behaviour.”
Jailing McCallum, Judge Philip Gregory told him:
“You have a deeply unhealthy and strong sexual interest in young teenage girls."
“It must be clearly understood that men who groom girls of 13 and hopes to meet them with a view to serious sexual activity will find themselves severely punished for such behaviour.”