Killingbeck McDonald's: Paedophile hunters catch man at Leeds restaurant trying to meet 13-year-old girl

Ian Wadsley, 47, of Clog Mill Gardens in Selby, had been talking online with the decoy, which was being operated by a member of the vigilante group Net Justice.

He began messaging the pretend teenager – named Poppy and said to live in Leeds – in May last year and, during the conversation, referred to condoms as “party hats”, told her that “age doesn’t matter” and sent her an article suggesting a sexual relationship between a young girl and much older man was acceptable.

During his sentencing at Leeds Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday), Alisha Kaye for the prosecution read out a summary of the communication over a few days between Poppy and Wadsley, who works as a delivery driver.

She said that after Poppy asked him about sex, Wadsley said: “There’s no harm doing it if you wear a party hat.”

He also said that “age didn’t matter if (two people) loved each other and were happy”.

Wadsley said he wanted to “spend time and cuddle her” and told Poppy she was “old enough to make her own decisions”, suggesting she be his boyfriend.

Wadsley texted Poppy “continuously” and asked her to meet him numerous times. When she asked if they would kiss Wadsley replied that “if it led to other stuff he would have his party hats with him”.

Wadsley then arranged to meet Poppy at the McDonald’s at Killingbeck and was surrounded in his car by members of Net Justice, who questioned and took videos of him. He was arrested upon the arrival of police and charged with attempting to meet with a child following grooming and communicating sexually with a child. He pleaded guilty at magistrates court.

The court heard that Wadsley has a previous conviction of stalking from when he was working as a delivery driver for Iceland during the Covid pandemic and had begun turning up at a customer’s home uninvited. On one occasion he was seen outside with his hood up and wearing a black mask.

Judge Christopher Batty sentenced Wadsley to 58 weeks imprisonment and issued him with a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.