Predator who used Facebook Messenger to try and lure 14-year-old girl to London for sex jailed

A paedophile was caught in a sting texting a Facebook profile he believed belonged to a teenage girl.

Mohammed Hoque, 44, of no fixed address, contacted vigilantes posing as a 14-year-old and tried to get ‘her’ to London for sex, saying: ‘When u come u kiss me’.

Police say “dangerous” Hoque used Messenger to start a conversation with an account clearly stating the owner’s age.

His messages became increasingly sexual, including asking multiple times for her to send explicit images before sending one of his erect penis.

Hoque regularly asked her to come to the capital to see him, making it clear this meeting was intended to become sexual, saying ‘When you come all night u and me enjoy together’ and ‘When u come u kiss me’.

Evidence of the communication was handed to the police at Bethnal Green Police Station by paedophile hunters.

Hoque was arrested by Metropolitan Police officers on October 23, 2022.

At Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday, he was sentenced to four years in prison and three on extended licence after pleading guilty to two child sex offences including arranging/facilitating commission of a child sex offence and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

PC Simon Brown, of the Central East Online Child Sex Abuse and Exploitation team, said: “This was a very troubling case due to the nature of Hoque’s messages to a female he thought to be only 14 years old.

“It is clear from the messages that if the female was a real child then Hoque would have met up with her for sexual purposes. It is satisfying that Hoque has been given a long sentence due to the danger he presents to young women.”