Former cricketer sentenced after exposed by paedo-hunters

    A former county cricketer has been jailed after being exposed by a sting set up by paedophile hunters.

    Richard Sladdin, 48-years-old and from Hebden Bridge, was sentenced to one year in prison at Bolton Crown Court.

    Self-proclaimed paedophile hunters lured Sladdin to a car park in Leigh, after chatting to him online whilst pretending to be a 14-year-old girl.

    The incident was filmed which then led to his arrest.

    An NSPCC spokesman said: "Sladdin set out to groom and meet a vulnerable young girl, knowing full well she was under the age of 16. While his intended victim was fictitious, his behaviour highlights the dangers posed to youngsters by offenders online. This kind of predatory activity can ruin childhoods, with the devastating effects often lasting long into adulthood.”

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