Lee Pomroy

Lee Pomroy, a 55-year-old resident of Ty Box Road, Pontnewydd, Cwmbran, in Wales, was sentenced to four years in prison at Newport Crown Court for attempting to sexually exploit what he believed to be underage schoolgirls. The case came to light when Pomroy engaged in online communications with individuals posing as 13 and 14-year-old girls, providing explicit instructions and sending videos of himself masturbating.

Prosecutor Roger Griffiths detailed during the hearing how Pomroy instructed the decoys to perform sexual acts, including digital penetration, and arranged to meet some of them, such as at Cardiff Bus Station. He also suggested to one decoy that he would 'teach her what it was like to have sex' and encouraged 'dirty talk'. Pomroy was in contact with five such fake profiles created by paedophile hunters, who subsequently alerted Gwent Police, leading to his arrest.

Pomroy admitted to five counts of attempting to cause or incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity and one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. Although he had previous convictions, none were for sexual offences. His barrister, David Pinnell, highlighted Pomroy's guilty pleas as the primary mitigation, noting his client's adverse childhood experiences and social isolation.

Judge Shomon Khan, in passing sentence, acknowledged Pomroy's lack of relevant prior convictions but emphasised the aggravating factors, stating: 'Your offending is aggravated by the facts that you told 'them' not to tell anybody and you asked for images and sent them. You were determined and persistent. You intended to sexualise 13 and 14-year-old girls for your own sexual gratification.' Pomroy was required to serve half his sentence before release on licence and was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, alongside an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and a victim surcharge.

The case, reported by Wales Updates, underscores the role of paedophile hunter groups in identifying potential offenders, with Gwent Police involved in the subsequent investigation and arrest.