Indian Man Who Tried To Marry 13-Year-Old Decoy Set up by Vigilantes Sentenced to Three Years and 10 Months

Vijay Mundrathi, 41, was sentenced to three years and 10 months after travelling to meet with a 13-year-old decoy set up by a paedophile hunter group. The postgraduate student was reportedly planning to marry the 'teenager' to get a new visa, allowing him to extend his stay in the UK.

Mundrathi travelled by train from Sheffield to Doncaster, where he was supposed to meet up with the decoy. Upon arriving, he was detained by the vigilante organisation Ride to Jail, where he was found in possession of prosecco, rings, and his passport.

Judge Rachel Harrison heard the sentencing on 5 August at Sheffield Crown Court, and imposed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order alongside the prison term.

Disturbing Texts Sent to the Decoys

Mundrathi, of Hoyle Street, Sheffield, had also admitted four counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and one count of arranging sexual activity with a child at an earlier hearing.

Between 5 April and 28 April of this year, Mundrathi was also caught sexually messaging three other decoys who he believed were 14-year-old girls.

With the 13-year-old decoy, the postgrad student allegedly sent graphic videos of himself showering.

The suspect also asked whether or not the decoy's six-year-old sister would be awake if he visited their house and had intercourse.

Immigration as Possible Motive

The 41-year-old was a postgraduate student whose UK visa had already expired by the time of the offences.

Before meeting up, Mundrathi also said to the 13-year-old decoy that she's looking to marry a British girl and that he would buy her a house when she's old enough.

Chris Aspinall, the barrister representing Mundrathi, revealed in the trial that prior to his client's offences, he was a victim of a crypto scam that led to him losing all his life savings and that he had failed to extend his student visa.

'There were clearly thoughts of marrying a young girl to secure his status - it was ill-thought out in terms of the age range of the girls he sought after,' Aspinall added.

Public Outcry Over Lenient Sentence

News of Mundrathi's sentencing caused widespread outcry among the online community, with most commentators commenting on the somewhat lenient sentence given by the court.

One commentator stated, 'Weird. 3 years in jail. Registering as a sex offender for life, Sexual harm prevention order for 10 years. But not a single mention of deportation after serving jail time?'

Several users also pointed out how much the Indian Student scheme is abused, and that it should be taken more seriously.

It also renewed debates over the role of vigilante groups in modern policing, with the masses divided on whether or not they can be trusted as evidence gatherers.

The case is the latest to be brought to court on the back of evidence gathered by an online paedophile-hunter group rather than a formal police sting operation.

Mundrathi is one of the latest to be brought to court on the back of an online paedophile-hunter group. Instead of a formal police sting operation, the group pose as children online to draw out predators before handing evidence to the police.