By Cally Brooks
A depraved paedophile who offered a woman 拢300 to let him sexually assault her baby granddaughter has been jailed for four years after she took screenshots of his vile messages and alerted the police. Craig Binns, 31, met the woman on a dating website less than three weeks prior to the messages, where he “bragged” that he had previously paid other people to let him rape their children, including 拢1,000 to violate a two-year-old girl, Newcastle Crown Court heard in May. The horrified woman gave the screenshots to the police, leading to his arrest. Binns, of Cross Avenue in Wallsend, admitted to three offences in court including attempting to pay for the sexual services of a child and arranging the commission of a child sex offence. Binns and the woman exchanged messages for a few weeks before eventually meeting in November, where he took her for a drive in his car, prosecutor Claire Anderson said. The woman was completely unaware of Binns’ horrifying motives. Days later the pervert, who told the woman his surname was Dudgeon, talked about staying in her home and suggested the couple have a threesome with a child, the court heard. He also questioned the woman on whether she had thought about having “sex with people aged from one onwards”, Ms Anderson said. When he discovered she had a 10-week-old granddaughter, Binns asked for naked pictures of the child which he offered to pay for, the court heard. The dad-of-two also asked the woman if she had sexually touched the baby and if he could be left alone with the girl. The woman took screenshots of the Snapchat conversations which she sent to police but, fearing the risk he posed to children, continued messaging him to get more information about him, Ms Anderson said. He repeatedly offered her money to let him sexually abuse the baby, including 拢300 in cash for a graphic sex act, the court heard. Ms Anderson said Binns “bragged” about abusing other youths and said he had paid parents to let him “rape” their children, including a seven-year-old girl and a two-year-old girl he claimed he ‘gave’ 拢1,000 for. During the trial, the court heard there was no evidence he had ever actually carried out the abuse he boasted about. A search of his devices found he had registered his internet account under a false name and had made horrifying searches relating to families having sex. Binns initially denied all wrongdoing, telling police that the Snapchat messages weren’t real. But he soon admitted everything, the court heard. Judge Edward Bindloss said Binns was trying to groom the woman and make her an “accomplice” in his abuse of children. But the woman “did the right thing” and went immediately to police, who also acted quickly to arrest Binns, the judge said, adding he commended both her and the officers for “their prompt actions”. Judge Bindloss said had the woman not acted so bravely, he was “entirely convinced” Binns would have abused the child. He said Binns posed a “high risk” to children and would have to abide by a sexual harm prevention order and sign the sex offenders register for life.