Groomer Busted in Barnsley Sting
Hegoda Makalanda thought he was meeting a child when he travelled from London to Barnsley, South Yorkshire on October 27 last year. Instead, police were waiting to arrest him.
Covert Operation Snags Sex Offender
The 45-year-old from Enfield was caught thanks to a joint sting by South Yorkshire Police and the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit (YH ROCU). Makalanda had been secretly engaging with officers as part of an ongoing investigation.
Lengthy Jail Term for Serial Offender
At Sheffield Crown Court, Makalanda was slammed with a nine-year prison sentence. He was also hit with an indefinite spot on the Sex Offenders Register and slapped with a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
The court revealed Makalanda pleaded guilty to multiple charges: meeting a child after grooming, sexual communication with a child, arranging child sexual exploitation, and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Authorities disclosed this predator was already restricted by a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order, stemming from convictions dating back to 2010 for making and possessing indecent images of children.
Police Warn of Ongoing Threat
“Makalanda was already a Registered Sex Offender and his actions in grooming and arranging to meet a child in order to carry out abuse show how much of a danger he is to children,” said Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Howard of YH ROCU.
“I’m pleased that the sentence he has received reflects this. The Yorkshire and Humber ROCU will not stop in its efforts to bring predators like him to justice.”
