Man snared after dirty sexualised chat with what he believed to be girls aged 13

Dominic Turowski wanted phone sex with one of the “children” and sent another a photo of his penis, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Turowski, of Sunbridge Road, Bradford, pleaded guilty to seven offences of attempting to communicate sexually with young girls, all committed in a six-week period between February and March last year.

Prosecutor Soheil Khan said that Maisie, Taylor and Sophia were in reality online decoys used by adult members of the Justice for Children paedophile hunter group. All of them immediately told Turowski they were aged 13, the court was told.

He first chatted to “Maisie” asking if she fancied him and wanting a full body photo of her.

Then he asked “Taylor” from London if she “liked being dirty on the phone.”

He wanted phone sex with her and asked for pictures of her in bed.

Turowski encouraged “Sophia” to be “rude and naughty,” urging her to commit sexual acts on herself.

He was confronted by Justice for Children when he went to what he thought was a meeting with an adult woman outside Jurys Inn in central Bradford on April 10, 2021.

He was arrested and said he sent the penis picture “in a mad moment” and denied any sexual interest in children.

He then made full and frank admissions, saying he was ashamed and embarrassed.

Mr Khan said the offences were aggravated by the significant disparity in age between Turowski and the “girls” and by his grooming behaviour.

Gerald Hendron said in mitigation that mercifully there were no actual victims, the underage girls were decoys and Turowski never tried to meet up with any of them.

He initially said the supposed 13-year-olds were “far too young” but then took part in the “lewd and disgusting conversations” with them.

He was a welder and fabricator by trade who was living alone in a caravan at the time after the break-up of a long-term relationship.

Turowski was utterly ashamed of himself. He was “in the darkest of places at the time” and resorting to drugs and alcohol while isolated during the second coronavirus lock-down, Mr Hendron said.

He had made full and frank admissions to the police and would co-operate with any community sentence imposed by the court.

Judge Jonathan Gibson said there must be a significant reduction in the sentence be-cause no real child was involved and there was no attempt to meet up with one.

Turowski was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.

He must attend an accredited sex offender programme and 55 rehabilitation activity days and pay £500 towards the cost of the prosecution.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was made for ten years and he must sign on the sex offender register, also for ten years.