Rakesh Mahaseth

A 32-year-old man from Peterborough has been sentenced to prison after attempting to groom and meet a child online. Rakesh Mahaseth engaged in explicit conversations with a decoy posing as a 13-year-old girl on a dating app, demonstrating a clear sexual interest in minors.

The grooming began on 4 February 2025, when Mahaseth initiated contact through the app. The decoy, operated by an online child activist group, informed him of her supposed age as 13. Despite this, Mahaseth quickly turned the conversation sexual, expressing a desire to say something 'naughty' and asking inappropriate questions. He sent pictures of himself and continued the explicit dialogue, ultimately arranging to meet the 'girl' in an alleyway next to Tesco in Broadway, Peterborough, on 23 February 2025.

Upon arrival at the meeting location, Mahaseth was confronted by members of the activist group instead of the decoy. The group alerted Cambridgeshire Constabulary, leading to his immediate arrest. Although no actual child was involved and no contact offences occurred, the evidence of his intent and actions was deemed sufficient for prosecution.

At Peterborough Crown Court on Friday, 13 June 2025, Mahaseth pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming. He was sentenced to 26 months' imprisonment. Additionally, he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting ten years.

Detective Constable Lloyd Davis of Cambridgeshire Constabulary commented on the case: 'Although Mahaseth didn’t commit any contact offences and wasn’t speaking to an actual child, he still showed and acted on a sexual interest in children so it’s great he’s been jailed.' This incident highlights the role of online activist groups in identifying potential child groomers and supporting police efforts to protect vulnerable individuals.