Telford bookie, 51, 'targeted' in child grooming sting, court told
A 51-year-old Telford bookie who arranged to meet up with a 13-year-old girl he had chatted up on the internet found himself at the centre of a "sting" by a vigilante targeting alleged paedophiles, a court heard.
But when he arrived at the house in Nuneaton, Martin Currier did not find the teenager called "Jodie" he was expecting.
Instead, he was confronted by a "sting" organisation, which sets out to trap those grooming children for sex.
Messages and texts between Currier and "Jodie" were read to the jury at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday.
The court was also shown a video of the moment he walked into the Nuneaton house to be confronted by Stinson Hunter, who later handed the recording to police.
Describing himself as an undercover journalist, Mr Hunter runs a "collective" which sets out to uncover those who prey on children on the internet, the court heard.
Currier denies a charge of sexual grooming and claims he was trapped into going to Nuneaton.
Mr Phillip Beardwell, prosecuting, said Currier, of St Mark's Drive in Wellington, contacted "Jodie" via the Badoo dating/friendship social network site.
The first message from Currier read "hello Jodie, you are a very pretty girl, do you have time for older guys?", Mr Beardwell said.
The reply included the mention that "Jodie" was only 13, but the internet messages and text messages continued.
David Riley, who posed on the internet as "Jodie" said he had used the photo of a 21-year-old woman for the teen's picture.
Miss Kim Halsall, for Currier, claimed Mr Riley had encouraged Currier to have the conversations and had suggested the meeting in Nuneaton.
Mr Beardwell also read out explicit messages between Currier and six girls who either said or implied they were under 16.
The trial continues.
