'Tricked' paedophile, 43, goes to meet boy, 14, in Fareham park for sex before vigilante group confronts him - landing pervert jail

Twisted dad-of-two Adrian Chelaru, 43, was jailed after grooming the imaginary boy, 14, after striking up an increasingly ‘sexualised’ conversation on gay dating platform Grindr.

But Romanian national Chelaru was stunned when he was suddenly confronted by the paedophile hunter group in the park on September 6, 2017.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard how the pervert began chatting to someone named Samuel on the app. ‘At a very early stage the profile made it clear he was not 18 and was in fact 14 years of age,’ prosecutor Alec Williams said.

‘Unperturbed he continued the conversation which quickly became sexual and led to him arranging to meet at a place they would not be disturbed.’

The defendant made his intentions clear and asked ‘what do you like to do’ before telling his apparent young prey he was ‘versatile’, the prosecutor said.

Despite being told again by the profile that the boy was 14, Chelaru dismissed the comment, adding: ‘We can do something.’

Chelaru arrived at the car park where he was snared by the hunter group before police were called and he was arrested.

During police interview he accepted he had sent messages to the profile but insisted he did not believe the boy was 14.

The court heard Chelaru had no relevant previous convictions in the UK but had a dishonesty matter in Romania.

Judge David Melville KC said: ‘Even though he was a child it didn’t stop you communicating with him. You asked him what sexual position he would like to do and arranged to meet him in Fareham.

‘You went to meet Samuel age 14 and took a bottle of vodka but when you got there the hunter group was there.

‘Samuel of course did not exist. You had been tricked.’

Chelaru, of Alma Road, Southampton, was jailed for 18 months having admitted a single charge of attempting to meet a child after grooming.

A sexual harm prevention order was made.

The court heard the defendant was likely to be deported back to Romania after his sentence.