Towcester man jailed for trying to meet a child for sex

A 37-year-old man has been jailed after he tried to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex.

Robert Charles Payne, of Northgate, Towcester, arrived at Northampton train station just after 2pm on November 18, 2023, to meet a 13-year-old girl he believed was travelling from Glasgow to meet him.

One month before the proposed meeting, Payne had added the girl on Facebook. After a short while, their conversation moved to WhatsApp with Payne sending her sexual messages and repeatedly asking her to send him indecent images of herself.

They eventually agreed to meet at the train station for sexual purposes with Payne sending the girl a photo of his face so she would recognise him.

However, when he arrived, the 13-year-old girl he thought he had been communicating with turned out to be an online child abuse activist group.

Police were called and Payne, who was found with condoms in his possession, was arrested at the train station. He was subsequently charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a girl aged 13-15 to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to meet a girl under 16 years of age following grooming.

After pleading guilty to the offences at Northampton Crown Court, he was sentenced on June 12 to two years and 11 months in prison.

Lead investigator - Detective Constable Sophie Stevens from the Online Child Abuse Investigation Unit (OCAIU) said: “Although the ‘child’ in this case was not real, that does not in any way take away from the very sinister fact that Robert Payne arrived at Northampton train station that day with the intent to sexually abuse a 13-year-old girl.

“I’m so pleased he has been sent to prison as it means our children in Northamptonshire are that little bit safer.

“At Northamptonshire Police, we are so passionate about protecting the children in this county. We work both proactively and reactively and will continue in our relentless drive to bring others like Robert Payne to justice.”