Paul Darley

A 67-year-old man from Wolverhampton, Paul Darley, has been sentenced to over eight years in prison for attempting to groom and sexually exploit what he believed was a 13-year-old girl online. The case, handled by Derbyshire Constabulary, highlights the dangers of online predation and the effectiveness of undercover operations in protecting children.

The incident began in May 2025 when Darley initiated contact with the purported 13-year-old girl in an online chatroom. Over the course of their conversations, Darley sent increasingly explicit messages, repeatedly inquired about her age, and remarked that it was 'a nice age'. He then arranged to meet the girl in Derby for sexual activity, demonstrating clear intent to commit child sex offences.

Unbeknownst to Darley, the 'girl' was in fact an undercover police officer from Derbyshire Constabulary's Protecting Children Online Team. Officers arrested Darley on 19 May 2025 in the car park of McDonald's in Markeaton Park, Derby, at the arranged meeting time of 10am. He was immediately charged with sexual communication with a child and arranging sexual activity with a child, and remanded in custody to appear at court on 20 May 2025. A magistrate further remanded him into prison custody pending trial.

Darley admitted to the offences during a hearing on 8 July 2025. On 21 October 2025, he appeared at Derby Crown Court, where Judge [Name not specified in article] sentenced him to 8 years and 4 months' imprisonment. In addition, Darley was issued an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and required to remain on the sex offenders' register for life.

• Key timeline: Contact initiated in May 2025; arrest on 19-05-2025; court appearance and admissions in July 2025; sentencing on 21-10-2025.
• Charges: Sexual communication with a child; arranging sexual activity with a child.

Police Constable Eloise Cooper, from Derbyshire Constabulary’s Protecting Children Online Team, commented on the case: “Paul Darley poses a serious risk to children – not only did he knowingly share explicit messages with who he believed was a 13-year-old girl – but he was also willing to travel more than 40 miles to sexually abuse that child. Thankfully, Darley was caught before he was able to harm a child and is now behind bars for a significant period. We take all reports of child abuse and exploitation extremely seriously, and will continue to do our utmost to root out offenders.”

This case underscores the proactive measures taken by UK police forces to combat online grooming and child sexual exploitation, ensuring that potential offenders are apprehended before they can cause real harm. The source for this information is the official Derbyshire Constabulary news release published on 12 November 2025.