Nalika Ranasinghe

A 55-year-old man from Littleport in Ely, Cambridgeshire, has been jailed for six and a half years after being snared by an online child activist group for attempting to groom what he believed was a 14-year-old girl. Nalika Ranasinghe, of The Hythe, began communicating with the decoy account in February 2023, persisting with sexual conversations despite the 'girl' repeatedly stating her age and rejecting his advances.

Ranasinghe exchanged more than 1,200 messages, turning the interactions explicitly sexual. He encouraged the 'child' to engage in sexual acts alone and with her 12-year-old cousin, and expressed intentions to meet her, stating, 'I will touch you one day if you let me.' Unbeknownst to him, the account was operated by the activist group, who confronted him at his home on 14 February 2023 before alerting the police.

Upon arrest, Ranasinghe admitted to sending the messages but claimed he knew he was speaking to an adult man rather than a child. He was released on court bail but failed to attend his sentencing hearing at Cambridge Crown Court on 20 March 2025. In his absence, he was found guilty on two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and two counts of attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity. The court imposed a custodial sentence of six years and six months.

Detective Sergeant Mike Paget of Cambridgeshire Constabulary commented on the case, stating: 'Ranasinghe was extremely persistent in his pursuit of sexual gratification from this ‘child’, who continually tried to reject his advances. He poses a significant risk to children, which is reflected in the sentence, and we are keen to arrest him as soon as possible so he goes to prison. I would urge anyone who knows of his whereabouts to contact police straight away.'

Ranasinghe is now considered a wanted man, and authorities are appealing for public assistance in locating him to ensure he serves his sentence. The case highlights the role of vigilante activist groups in identifying potential child sex offenders, leading to police intervention and prosecution.