Carl Mardel

A 52-year-old man from no fixed abode, Carl Mardel, has been sentenced to prison after being caught attempting to meet a child for sexual purposes in a car park in Pontefract, near Wakefield. The incident, which unfolded earlier in 2022, highlights the dangers of online grooming and the effectiveness of paedophile hunter groups in protecting children.

Mardel used a mobile dating app to contact what he believed were two underage girls, aged 12 and 14. Unbeknownst to him, these profiles were decoys set up by a paedophile hunter group. Over a period of two months, Mardel messaged the supposed 12-year-old, asking for intimate details about her body and explaining sexual intercourse. In October 2022, he began communicating with the 14-year-old decoy, again probing for personal details and suggesting they meet for sex.

• Mardel messaged the 12-year-old decoy for two months, discussing explicit topics.
• He arranged to meet the 14-year-old decoy in a Pontefract car park on 20 October 2022.
• Upon arrival, he was arrested by West Yorkshire Police officers who were alerted by the hunter group.

During his arrest, Mardel expressed remorse, stating, “I can’t believe I have been so stupid. I have ruined my life and my wife and daughter’s life.” The court at Leeds Crown Court heard that Mardel had a prior conviction; he was imprisoned in 2000 for the violent rape of a 15-year-old girl and had only been removed from the sex offenders’ register in 2019.

Mardel pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to meet a girl under 16 and two counts of sexual communication with children. In mitigation, his barrister James Littlehales told the court: “He is determined to deal with his offending behaviour. I accept there is a substantial way to go. He is determined to use the custodial sentence usefully and to address his offending behaviour. The acknowledgement that he has ruined his life shows he understands the seriousness of what he has done.”

Recorder Mark McKone addressed Mardel during sentencing: “You were in extensive contact with two decoys pretending to be girls aged 12 and 14.” The sentence was handed down on 13 December 2022, as reported by the Wakefield Express. DS Ben Howley of the Kirklees Police Online Investigation Team commented: “Mardel is a committed sexual offender and we welcome the sentence imposed by the court today. He had every intention of committing serious sexual offences against what he thought was an under age female following conversations online, but is now instead facing a spell in prison.” West Yorkshire Police emphasised their commitment to investigating online child sexual offending thoroughly.