Johnathan Marcus Horton jailed after sending messages to undercover cop

A predator, who wrote “deeply disturbing” messages to an undercover cop, is behind bars after a judge slammed his vigilante excuse.

A predator is now behind bars after he wrote “deeply disturbing” messages to an undercover officer pretending to be a grandmother of a five-year-old child.

However, Johnathan Marcus Horton, 31, said he sent the messages as a ruse to uncover the woman’s identity so he could inflict harm on her.

During sentencing, the District Court heard Horton responded to an online advertisement in July 2022.

The court heard the advertisement titled “naughty family friendly fun” was posted by a covert police officer posing as a 48-year-old woman with a five-year-old granddaughter.

Judge Kris Handshin said Horton made repeated comments about sexual activity that he wished to engage in with the woman and her granddaughter, as well as sending explicit photographs.

Johnathan Horton was jailed after sending messages to an undercover cop. Photo: File

The court heard the undercover officer then suggested meeting Horton at a hotel.

“You told that the prospect of a liaison was something you spent a lot of time thinking about and found very exciting,” Judge Handshin said.

After Horton asked to be picked up by the woman, police attended at his home and arrested him.

Horton, of Munno Para West, pleaded guilty to making a child amenable to sexual activity.

During sentencing submissions, Nick Vadasz, for Horton, admitted his client was getting sexual gratification from the messages but said there were mixed motives for his offending.

Mr Vadasz said Horton agreed to meet with them as a ruse to inflict violence on the grandmother, intending to kill her.

Judge Handshin said the content of Horton’s messages strongly contradicted that he was motivated in part by vigilantism.

“It must be said that your comments were deplorable, deeply disturbing and repeated numerous times over the course of four months,” he said.

However, Judge Handshin said he accepted Horton, who had a traumatic upbringing, may have been in a conflicted state of mind during the offending.

The court heard Horton, who previously worked as a chef, was found by a psychologist to have a pedophilic disorder.

Judge Handshin said he accepted Horton was deeply remorseful for his conduct but children must be protected from corruption and sexual exploitation.

He sentenced Horton to two years and seven months, with a non parole period of one year.

Originally published as Johnathan Marcus Horton jailed after sending messages to undercover cop