Criminal investigation involving Ketan Thakrar, arising from an online sting conducted by a civilian vigilante group.
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was assessing whether the circumstances met the legal threshold for a charge under Section 15A of the Sexual Offences Act, which addresses attempted sexual communication with a child. The correspondence makes clear, however, that no actual child was involved, placing the matter in the category of an alleged attempt rather than a completed offence.
In this instance, the material prompting the investigation into Mr Thakrar was collected by a vigilante group that publicly documents its activities on social media.
Detective Constable Matthew Hall confirms in the emails that the case involving Mr Thakrar would be referred to the CPS for a charging decision. He notes that the central legal issue would be whether Mr Thakrar reasonably believed he was communicating with a child—an issue that would ultimately be determined by a jury should charges be authorized.