Paedophile caught in a ‘sting’ at St Albans City Station

A paedophile who was expecting to meet an underage girl outside a train station was trapped in a sting operation and will ‘inevitably’ be handed a custodial sentence.

David Metcalfe, 51, had travelled from Newcastle to St Albans City railway station to meet a 13-year-old called Lizzie White.

But St Albans Crown Court heard on Wednesday (31) that Lizzie White was fictitious.

When he was standing outside the station expecting to meet the girl, he was confronted and filmed by paedophile hunters Katie and Neil Ivall, who operate under the name Chris Fear.

Metcalfe, of Haldane Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming between June 6 2015 and August 2 2015. He also pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming between September 10 2015 and September 13, 2015.

Prosecutor Alex Krikler said the first charge represented Metcalfe’s attempts to meet with children on Hartlepool beach. The other charge related to Lizzie White, who was fictitious.

He did not open the details of the case.

Chloe Fairley, defending, said Metcalfe had already spent six months in custody on remand.

Judge Jonathan Carroll bailed Metcalfe for a pre-sentence report to be prepared by the Newcastle Probation Service. He is due to be sentenced on September 30.

The judge warned Metcalfe: “Custody is almost inevitable. I want the probation service to assess risk and dangerousness.”

Mr Krikler said a Sexual Harm Prevention Order against Metcalfe will be served on the court and the defence within seven days.