Leeds car washer stung twice by paedophile hunter group told police: 'I wanted a girlfriend'

Jan Hajnala made explicit remarks to two ‘girls’ online after striking up a conversation though a dating app.

The decoy profiles were actually run by the Child Online Safety Team.

Forty-five-year-old Hajnala contacted the first decoy in August last year, and despite telling him she was only 14, he quickly turned the conversation sexual.

Days later he sent a picture of condoms and said he wanted to take her pyjamas down.

However, he also began messaging another profile run by the hunter group, who also told him she was 14.

Prosecutor John Hobley told Leeds Crown Court this week: “The messages follow largely the same tack, but the messages became more explicit much sooner. He tells her he is horny and needs a woman.”

Mr Hobley said Hajnala was confronted by the hunter group and arrested shortly afterwards.

During his interview he told officers he was only speaking to older women because he wanted a girlfriend. He said he thought the two decoys were 18 and had no sexual motivation.

He eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual communication with a child.

Mitigating on his behalf, Jo Shepherd said that Hajnala, who is from the Czech Republic, attended a special needs school as a youngster and questions were raised by probation over his learning difficulties.

The court was told that since coming to the UK he has only secured menial work, mainly at car washes.

Hajnala, of Cross Gates Road, Leeds, has no previous convictions.

The judge, Recorder David Gordon told him: “You were talking to an adult decoy being operated by members of the public who have a genuine concern of adults grooming children online for sex.

"You could have no complaints if I sent you to prison at the public’s expense, but I’m of the clear view that you can be punished and the public protected in another way.”

He handed him an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, and 120 hours of unpaid work.

He was put on the sex offenders register for 10 years, and given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order to limit his internet use.