Lesley Collins

Lesley Collins, a 48-year-old man from Stradbroke near Eye in Suffolk, engaged in sexual communication with what he believed to be a 13-year-old schoolgirl online, but the profile was operated by a volunteer from the Child Online Safety Team, a group of paedophile hunters.

The interactions began when Collins, using the alias Rod Collins, sent a friend request on Facebook to the fictitious girl's profile. The woman managing the account repeatedly stated her age as 13 during their exchanges. Collins then requested to shift the conversation to WhatsApp, where he messaged the decoy between 4 July and 7 July 2024. During this period, he repeatedly asked for photographs, including images of the girl in her underwear.

The communications escalated on 7 July 2024, when Collins sent a live-streamed video of himself performing a sex act to the decoy. Following this, the Child Online Safety Team tracked Collins to his home address on New Street Close in Stradbroke and confronted him before alerting the police. Upon questioning by officers, Collins admitted to his actions and expressed remorse and disgust for his behaviour.

Collins appeared at Ipswich Crown Court, where he had already pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause or incite a child to look at imagery involving sexual activity. The charges were framed as attempts due to the decoy's true identity as an adult. Judge Samantha Leigh heard how Collins's actions had profound personal consequences: his marriage ended, family relations became strained, and he lost his job as a forklift driver.

In sentencing on Tuesday in 2024, Judge Leigh imposed a 22-month custodial sentence, which was suspended for two years. Collins was also ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work, up to 50 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days, and 12 sessions with an accredited mental health programme. The case was reported by the East Anglian Daily Times, highlighting the role of vigilante groups in child protection efforts.