A respected academic who had recently taken up a post at Durham University has been imprisoned for attempting to facilitate a child sex offence by arranging to meet a supposed 14-year-old boy for sexual activity. Dushmanta Kara, originally from India, left his wife and young child to pursue his career in the UK, arriving in February 2023. Just weeks into his new role, on 25 April 2023, he engaged in explicit online communications that led to his arrest and subsequent dismissal from the university.
Durham Crown Court heard that Kara contacted a profile named ‘TwinkFreeNow’ on the gay dating app Grindr, which featured a photograph of a boy with short dark hair. Unbeknownst to Kara, this profile was operated by an undercover police officer from Durham Constabulary as part of a sting operation targeting potential child sex offenders. Although the profile initially claimed the user was 18—the minimum age for Grindr— the decoy soon disclosed being 14 years old, with no age verification required on the platform. Kara, whose own profile indicated he was located just four kilometres away in Bowburn, responded enthusiastically, sending a photograph of his naked upper body and discussing sexual acts including kissing, cuddling, and oral sex.
- The 'boy' informed Kara he was 'new to it' but available that night and alone at home.
- They exchanged further photographs and tracked each other's locations via the app as they headed to a rendezvous point in Gilesgate, Durham.
- Upon arrival, Kara was arrested by waiting officers.
During police interview, Kara admitted to using Grindr since his arrival in the UK and acknowledged the explicit nature of the messages exchanged. He claimed to have believed the boy was 18, despite the profile picture appearing younger. However, by his first Crown Court appearance on 26 May 2023, the 31-year-old pleaded guilty to charges of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. The case was heard at Durham Crown Court on 13 July 2023, with Kara assisted by a Hindi interpreter.
In mitigation, defence barrister Mark Styles highlighted the profound impact of the case on Kara, describing him as 'isolated, lonely, and vulnerable' in the UK, having arrived knowing no one. Styles noted character references from fellow academics attesting to Kara's high regard in his field, his loss of employment—dismissed by Durham University in early June 2023—and the devastating effects on his family. 'He was naïve in the extreme to get involved in this criminal offending,' Styles argued, emphasising Kara's anxiety to return home and start afresh.
Judge James Adkin, however, took a stern view, stating that Kara's continued engagement after learning the 'boy's' age of 14 showed it 'didn’t seem to be a problem' to him. The judge referenced updated sentencing guidelines for such offences, with a starting point of five years' custody (range four to ten years), noting a 'hardening of attitudes' towards child sexual exploitation. While acknowledging mitigating factors including Kara's previous good character, prompt guilty pleas, and academic reputation, Judge Adkin imposed a sentence of 30 months' imprisonment, reduced from 40 months due to the pleas. He specified that Kara would serve 15 months before deportation, and ordered a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order alongside indefinite registration on the sex offenders' register.
The case underscores ongoing concerns about the ease of online grooming on platforms lacking robust age checks, as highlighted by prosecutor Paul Newcombe. Durham Constabulary's operation successfully prevented potential harm, leading to Kara's conviction under UK laws protecting children from sexual exploitation.