Scooter-riding Wakefield pensioner spared jail after trying to lure 'boy' to his home

A pensioner in poor health who tried to lure what he thought was a 14-year-old boy to his Wakefield home for sexual purposes has been spared an immediate jail term.
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Stuart Dixon, 65, had been using the gay dating app, Grindr, when he struck up a conversation with another user and asked to meet up, Leeds Crown Court was told today.

The other user said he was only 14 but it failed to deter Dixon, who appeared in court sat in a mobility scooter.

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Claiming online that he was only 53, Dixon then sent a series of lewd sexual messages to the recipient and asked for him to visit his home.

Stuart Dixon outside of Leeds Crown CourtStuart Dixon outside of Leeds Crown Court
Stuart Dixon outside of Leeds Crown Court

However, the user was actually a decoy profile set up by a paedophile hunter group who then confronted Dixon at his property on Blakey Road.

The police were called and Dixon was arrested.

Prosecuting, David Gordon, said that when questioned about the supposed boy he contacted on Grindr, Dixon said he had "not really taken any notice of his age" and that without his glasses on he thought he had said he was 41.

But this was contradicted during the exchange of online messages, Dixon had replied to the boy's age admitting it was 'under the legal limit' but still wanted to meet.

Stuart Dixon outside of Leeds Crown Court.Stuart Dixon outside of Leeds Crown Court.
Stuart Dixon outside of Leeds Crown Court.
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Mitigating for Dixon, Richard Canning said: "He was at an incredibly low point in his life. He still is."

Judge Rodney Jameson QC told him: "You are plainly not in good health but you must not, no matter how isolated you are, seek to engage with people under the age of 16 for sexual purposes, it's simply unlawful.

"The damage that can be caused to young people in this way is incalculable."

Dixon, who admitted one charge of grooming, was given a 12-month sentence suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register.