AN IPSWICH barman who posed as a nurse in a bid to groom a schoolgirl for sex is facing jail. Andrew Dart, 27, was caught after an undercover cop posed as a 14-year-old on a social networking website.
AN IPSWICH barman who posed as a nurse in a bid to groom a schoolgirl for sex is facing jail.
Andrew Dart, 27, was caught after an undercover cop posed as a 14-year-old on a social networking website.
Dart started sending messages to the 'girl' after seeing fake pictures of a long-haired brunette wearing school uniform and posing on a beach in a bikini.
He bombarded her with lewd messages and begged her to send him pictures of her wearing underwear. But the girl was in fact a 6ft 1in Met police officer in her 30s.
Dart was found guilty of one count of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming between April 1 and 15 this year.
Southwark Crown Court heard the schoolgirl's social profile was a honey-trap set up by officers from the Paedophile Unit to catch internet predators.
Dart claimed he was a nurse who liked 'dancing, acting, singing and horse riding' in an attempt to make friends online but actually worked as a part-time barman.
He spent two weeks 'grooming' the girl before travelling from his home in Coniston Square East, Ipswich, to London's Liverpool Street station to meet her.
As Dart travelled to London he spoke to the female officer pretending to be his victim over the phone.
He was then met by a team of police officers when he got off the train at Liverpool Street Station on the evening of April 15 this year. Dart was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on October 2.
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