Paedophile tried to take a boy, 13, to hotel for sex while out on bail

Michael Aldridge was already on bail after trying to meet a girl he had been chatting to online - but he had been duped by vigilante group Dark Justice. Photo / North News & Pictures Ltd

By Alexander Robertson

A pervert planned to take a 13-year-old boy to a hotel for sex while out on bail after being snared by paedophile hunters.

Michael Aldridge was already on bail after trying to meet a girl, also aged 13, he had been chatting to online - but he had been duped by vigilante group Dark Justice, the Daily Mail reports.

The 35-year-old, who claimed to be aged 19 during chats, was arrested and charged by the police but allowed out on bail while his case went through the courts.

Within months, Aldridge had confessed to a health professional that he had a 'sexual attraction' to children, which sparked a police probe of his home computers.

Newcastle Crown Court heard officers were permitted to interrogate his internet devices without warning as part of his bail conditions.

The search revealed Aldridge had a sickening collection of child abuse images and plans to take a teen boy to a Holiday Inn hotel.

The court heard Skype records revealed he had engaged in sexual conversations with the 13-year-old and persuaded him to show his private parts over the camera.

Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw told the court: 'There was a proposal to meet within 20 minutes.

"The conversation indicated the two were to meet for penetrative sexual activity, which would include bondage. There was an agreement to meet the day after.

"When hearing the child could not spend the night with him, he said they could use a shopping centre loo for sexual activity."

The court heard Aldridge cancelled the first meeting and claimed he had a bad back.

But he set up a second meeting for the end of April and arranged a hotel stay through Booking.com.

Aldridge was arrested on the day the hotel meeting had been due to take place and had been "blocked" online by the teen the day before.

Aldridge, from Newcastle, pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He also admitted having a total of 687 indecent images of children on his home devices. He will be sentenced next month.

Brian Hegarty, defending, said Aldridge has faced up to his problems and is to receive help and input to overcome them.