A man who messaged a ’14-year-old girl’ about sex was caught after a ‘vigilante’ group named ‘Taxi For Nonce UK’ confronted him and live-streamed it on Facebook.

Richard Forrest, 32, was spared jail by a judge, after the court heard he admitted his offending and had no previous convictions.

Manchester Crown Court heard that Forrest messaged the ‘girl’, who was in fact a man posing as a child from a ‘paedophile hunter’ group named ‘Taxi For Nonce UK’.

Richard Forrest, 32, from Gorton, Manchester, has been spared jail (Picture: MEN Media)

He sent the first message to the ‘girl’ via the app FastMeet.


Her profile stated that she was called ‘Brooke’, and that she was 14-years-old.



The messages began on March 13, and they were ‘quickly turned by the defendant to matters sexual’, prosecutor Daniel Calder said.

Forrest told the ‘girl’ he was ‘looking for sex’, and that he knew another girl who would ‘help her learn about sex’.

The messaging continued on WhatsApp, where they talked about sexual matters and clothing.

Forrest, who has no previous convictions, was remanded in custody by magistrates after pleading guilty (Picture: MEN Media)

At one point, he asked the ‘girl’ whether her parents checked her phone, the court heard.

Days later, on March 16, members of the paedophile hunter group arrived at Forrest’s home.

The video was live-streamed on Facebook, and at present has been viewed by 43,000 people.

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Members of the group confronted Forrest, and said that they had called the police, before officers arrived and arrested him.

Forrest told police that he had been speaking to three or four other girls online, who he believed to be under 16.

It could not be confirmed whether they were real children or decoy profiles being used by paedophile hunter groups.

Forrest, who has no previous convictions, was remanded in custody by magistrates after pleading guilty.

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The maximum sentence for the offence is two years.

Judge Martin Rudland sentenced Forrest to a 24 month community order, to include 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Forrest, of Gorton, Manchester, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

He must also sign the sex offender’s register for five years.

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