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Rob Kennedy

Fenham taxi driver arranged to meet '14-year-old escort' for sex in Newcastle city centre

A taxi driver who turned up hoping to have sex with a 14-year-old escort has been jailed.

Mohammed Miah responded to an online advert offering "real young girls in Newcastle now" and said he wanted a British girl.

A court heard he agreed to pay £100 for sex with a child called Amber and turned up to meet her in Newcastle city centre.

Go here for the latest reports and live updates from North East courts

But it was a police sting and the 61-year-old pervert was arrested.

Miah, of Hadrian Road, Fenham, Newcastle, who admitted arranging or facilitating a child sex offence, has now been jailed for 18 months at Newcastle Crown Court.

It was in January last year that he responded to the advert on the Viva Street website.

Prosecutor Michael Bunch said: "The defendant was told 'the girls we have working today are young, is that what you are looking for'.

"He clarified he wanted a girl who was British."

He was told "We have our Amber who's 14 years old, she's available for full sex, are you happy with that?"

Miah clarified he understood that she was 14 and confirmed he wanted to make a booking.

An arrangement was made to meet in the city centre at 4.30pm that day and Miah was sent a postcode then directed to an exact location.

When he turned up, police were waiting to arrest him.

He told officers he had arranged to meet a girl aged over 18 for a massage. But he later pleaded guilty to the offence.

Sentencing him to 18 months, Judge Edward Bindloss told him he would have to sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order, both for ten years.

The judge told Miah: "You arranged to meet a child for sexual intercourse.

"From your perspective the 14-year-old girl was likely to be controlled and or emotionally vulnerable.

"You nevertheless made the arrangement and travelled to meet her, when you were met by police because this was a sting operation."

Gavin Doig, defending, said there were references from Miah's wife and daughter saying he was a good husband and dad and added that he was not in good health and is remorseful.

Mr Doig told the court: "He should have had his wife and daughter in mind a the time of the commission of this offence but they are very much in his mind now and it's a source of concern to him that a custodial sentence will result not only in punishment for him but difficulty for others.

"Just over a year has passed since the offence and he has had a fear of a custodial sentence hanging over him."

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