A Nigerian man, Osacpolor Jimoh, 37, who traveled down from Scotland to meet with a girl he met on the internet who had just turned 14 at Leeds, has been jailed for three years and nine months on five counts including attempting to meet child following sexual grooming, attempting to incite child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to cause child to watch sexual act.

He was arrested in Leeds Rail Station on October 24, 2022, after booking a two-night stay at a hotel. A sentencing hearing at Leeds Crown Court heard that Jimoh, of Clovenstone Park, Edinburgh, had added the decoy profile as a Facebook friend back in May.

After striking up a conversation with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl, he claimed he was 19, and asked if she had a boyfriend. He then told her she was “beautiful” and suggested the two have a “secret relationship”, before the conversation moved over to WhatsApp.

He soon asked her questions about her body and her sexual experience. He then sent her pornographic videos of himself, and became “aggressive” with her, as she would not send him explicit photos of herself, telling her she should “keep her man happy”. He also insisted the girl refer to him as “daddy”.

After arranging to meet who he thought was the girl, he was caught in Leeds Rail Station, and was found to have condoms and lollipops with him. When he was questioned by police, Jimoh admitted he communicated with the profile, but claimed it was more like a “father-daughter” relationship.

However, mitigating for Jimoh, Robin Frieze told the court: These are serious offences and the defendant is very sorry. This is the first time he has ever been in prison – he has found being in there very stressful.” He added that, while Jimoh was living in Edinburgh, he had cleaned on a voluntary basis for the local community “to keep himself occupied”. Recorder Mark McKome subsequently sentenced him to three years and nine months in prison.