Hegoda Makalanda

A registered sex offender, Hegoda Makalanda, was jailed for nine years after travelling from London to Yorkshire with the intention of committing sexual abuse against a child he had groomed via the internet. The 45-year-old, residing in Enfield, North London, believed he was meeting the child in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, on 27 October 2023, but instead encountered undercover officers from the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit (YH ROCU) and South Yorkshire Police.

Makalanda had been engaging in online communications with what he thought was a child, but these interactions were part of a covert investigation by YH ROCU. He pleaded guilty in November 2023 to four serious offences: meeting a child following grooming, sexual communication with a child, arranging the sexual exploitation of a child, and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. This breach related to a lifetime order imposed after his 2010 conviction for making and possessing indecent images of children.

At Sheffield Crown Court on Friday, Makalanda was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment and placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely. He also received an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order to further restrict his activities and protect the public, particularly children.

Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Howard of YH ROCU commented after the sentencing: 'Makalanda was already a Registered Sex Offender and his actions in grooming and arranging to meet a child in order to carry out abuse show how much of a danger he is to children. I’m pleased that the sentence he has received reflects this. The Yorkshire and Humber ROCU will not stop in its efforts to bring predators like him to justice.' This joint operation underscores the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to safeguard vulnerable individuals from online predators.

The case highlights the dangers posed by individuals who breach existing restrictions and continue to target children through digital means. Makalanda's prior conviction in 2010 for indecent images offences had already marked him as a high-risk individual, yet he persisted in grooming behaviour, leading to his latest arrest and substantial sentence.