Online predator jailed for six years for grooming children on teenage dating site

A predator who posed as a boy on a teenage dating site to groom children into sexual activity has been jailed for six years, police said.

Valmiki Rampersad, 47, targeted at least 21 girls aged 13 to 15 with a fake profile on the popular site mylol.com and quickly engaged them in highly explicit sex talk and live camera chats, Scotland Yard said.

He admitted 26 offences at Croydon Crown Court and was placed on the sex offender’s register for life after being sentenced on Thursday, according to the force.

The pervert, of Tudor Drive, Morden, south London, admitted four counts of causing or inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, 21 counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child and one count of making indecent photographs of a child.

Detective Constable Tom Ward said: “Rampersad (pictured) used social media to prey on young vulnerable teenage girls, invading the privacy of their own homes for the sole purpose of gaining sexual gratification.

“I would like to praise the courage of those girls who have spoken with us.

“However, we believe that there may be other victims who have not come forward or been identified. I would encourage anyone who has been coerced in such a way to contact the police.”

His offences were committed between October 2017 and September 2018, the Metropolitan Police said.

Copyright (c) PA Media Ltd. 2020, All Rights Reserved. Picture (c) Metropolitan Police / PA Wire.