A 37-year-old man, Shane Lander, was arrested for attempting to meet a girl he thought was 14, sending explicit messages and photos, and planning to buy condoms.
Peterborough: A man named Shane Lander thought he was chatting with a 14-year-old girl online. He sent her explicit messages and even tried to meet her in person.
Lander, 37, sent a friend request on Facebook, not knowing it was a decoy profile. Their conversation started on June 18, 2023, when he asked if she was single.
When she said she was 14 and in school, he sent her a selfie and asked for one back. He warned her to keep their chats secret from her mom.
Over the next few days, Lander continued messaging, saying he loved her and calling her “babe.” He even mentioned buying her a present for her 15th birthday.
Things turned sexual when he sent inappropriate pictures and asked her to do the same. He suggested they meet up in Peterborough and talked about buying condoms.
On the day they were supposed to meet, he sent her a selfie to identify himself. However, he was confronted by an activist group and arrested by the police.
Lander pleaded guilty to several charges, including attempting to meet a girl under 16. He was sentenced to over two years in prison and placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
DC Caroline Murphy emphasized the importance of keeping children safe and the commitment to catching offenders like Lander. If anyone has concerns about a potential sex offender, they can seek information through Sarah’s Law.
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