A 60-year-old man, who went to meet an underage 'schoolgirl', says he had a BB gun with him because of a vermin problem in his home and that he carried handcuffs in case "there was trouble when he was out."

Hendrick Groenewood sent messages to who he thought was an underage teen on the website "Meet4u" in January 2022. He told "Scarlett" that their relationship was a secret, before calling himself her "daddy" and asking if he could take a bath with her and wash her.

Groenewood had no idea he was talking to a decoy - an online paedophile-hunting group who pose as children online - and he was intercepted by police when he went to meet "Scarlett" at Middlesbrough train station, on January 13, 2022.

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Groenewood had handcuffs clipped onto his belt and a BB gun in his back pocket. On Monday, prosecutor Jenny Haigh told Teesside Crown Court that he told police that he carried the gun to shoot vermin that got into his home, and that he had "only gone to meet the girl, to watch movies and cuddle, not to have sex."

But during police questioning, when he was asked if he was sexually attracted to children, Groenewood replied: "A little bit."

Hendrick Groenewoud
Hendrick Groenewoud

The court heard that Groenewood had also messaged the online vigilante group in another conversation - where he thought he was chatting to "Holly", who put that she was 13 on her profile. He asked her what "they were going to do together under the covers" and suggested they have sex.

Groenewoud, of of Portman Street in central Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting sexual communications with a child and to attempting to meet a child following grooming.

Nikki Horton, defending, said that she had concerns about her client's level of understanding. She said: "He possibly has a learning disability.

"He also sent photos of his bedding with stuffed toys on top of it; and of jigsaws that he's done. There's a certain naivety and childlike behaviour, perhaps he hasn't got the adult intelligence that other have."

Hendrick Groenewood
Hendrick Groenewood

Recorder Thomas Moran said that a report on Groenewood had found the fact that he took a BB gun and handcuffs with him "extremely concerning."

Jailing Groenewood for 30 months, Recorder Moran said: "You're socially isolated and you said you were looking for a friend. You said you were only looking for a cuddle.

"I reject that. You were interested in sexual activity. I am in no doubt that you intended to abduct the girl - that's the only sensible explanation as to why you had handcuffs with you at the time.

"However, this was an attempt to meet - there was no real victim."

Groenewoud was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10-years and he must comply with sex offender police notifications for the same period of time.

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