Pervert travelled 300 miles to Newcastle after agreeing to pay £100 for sex with 11-year-old
Jason Martin thought he was talking to the mother of a child online but it was an undercover police officer
by Rob Kennedy · ChronicleLiveA pervert travelled 300 miles to Newcastle after agreeing to pay a woman £100 to have sex with her 11-year-old daughter.
Jason Martin thought he was talking to a mother online who had advertised her daughter for sale when he eagerly enquired about a price. In fact it was a profile set up by an undercover police officer.
Having agreed to pay to have sex with the youngster, the 55-year-old travelled by train from his home in Kent to Newcastle. When confronted by police, he claimed he was just here to visit Barnard Castle, in County Durham. But he had a picture of the youngster as his home screen on his phone. Now he has been jailed for almost eight years.
Newcastle Crown Court heard it was in July this year that an undercover police officer set up a profile on a chat site using the name "Dau for sale", which prosecutors say was short for "daughter for sale". Martin made contact and said "Yes please, how old?".
He was told the child was 11 and that she was tall for her age and blonde. Martin asked for a price and expressed a willingness to travel to Newcastle from Kent, where he was living.
The conversation moved to WhatsApp and continued for four weeks. Nick Lane, prosecuting, said: "A price of £100 was agreed by the defendant for full sex.
"It was agreed he would book a hotel in central Newcastle. The officer sent a number of pictures of the child with her face blanked out.
"The defendant expressed some concern it was a set up." However he was not perturbed and there was a discussion about the mother of the child watching him having sex with her.
He was sent more pictures and the arrangement was changed for the mother to book the hotel for the meeting, which was planned for August 14 this year. On that day, Martin travelled from his home to Newcastle by train.
He was intercepted by plain clothes officers at the ticket barrier at Newcastle Central Station. He said "S*** how did you know what I looked like".
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Officers seized his phone and the home screen picture was one of the pictures of the child which he had been sent by the undercover officer. Martin claimed he didn't believe the arrangement was real and said he travelled to Newcastle to visit Barnard Castle.
Martin, of Lower Road, Maidstone, Kent, pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating a child sex offence and was jailed for seven years and ten months. He must also sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.
Paul Rooney, defending, said: "He is a married man with an adult child. He has been employed throughout his adult life and has contributed to society . He has fallen into serious error.
"He is genuinely remorseful and disgusted at his behaviour."
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