'Isolated' Wakefield pervert caught in paedophile hunters sting after asking decoy profile for sexual pictures

A pervert thought he was speaking to a 13-year-old in an online chatroom – before it was revealed that the profile he was engaging with belonged to a paedophile hunter.
James Connolly
By James Connolly
Published 29th Nov 2023, 17:34 GMT
Updated 29th Nov 2023, 17:34 GMT
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Ian Sanders was living in Wakefield when he expressed a sexual interest in the person he believed to be a young girl, asking her for naked pictures.

The 42-year-old, now of Ettrick Avenue in Bellshill, Scotland, even attempted to set up a meeting with the child in 2019, but this did not materialise.

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What Sanders didn’t know was that he was speaking to a paedophile hunters group, who tracked him to his address and livestreamed the encounter.

Ian Sanders, 42, of Ettrick Avenue, Bellshill, Scotland, was given a suspended sentence at Leeds Crown Court on November 27 after pleading guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of making an indecent image of a child. The offences were committed while he was living in Wakefield. Photo: National World.Ian Sanders, 42, of Ettrick Avenue, Bellshill, Scotland, was given a suspended sentence at Leeds Crown Court on November 27 after pleading guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of making an indecent image of a child. The offences were committed while he was living in Wakefield. Photo: National World.
Ian Sanders, 42, of Ettrick Avenue, Bellshill, Scotland, was given a suspended sentence at Leeds Crown Court on November 27 after pleading guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of making an indecent image of a child. The offences were committed while he was living in Wakefield. Photo: National World.

The police were called and he was arrested, later pleading guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of making an indecent image of a child.

Sanders was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on November 27.

Defending, Andrew Pickin explained that the defendant has since moved to Scotland and has no contact with family members.

Judge Andrew Stubbs KC thought he had a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

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He said: “You live an isolated and solitary existence, spending your time watching television and doing crosswords and puzzles.

“You have taken on a mortgage, found a job and started a new relationship, which seems to have kept you out of trouble for a protracted period.”

Sanders was given a two year suspended sentence and was told he must enrol on a programme for sex offenders. He must also complete 60 hours of unpaid work and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.