A gold medal-winning Paralympic swimmer has avoided jail after being caught by paedophile hunters in a sting.
Gareth Duke was handed a six-month jail sentence by Newport Crown Court last week, which has been suspended for 18 months.
He also must register as a sex offender and was made the subject of a seven-year sexual harm prevention order.
Duke, who has achondroplasia, a genetic disorder which is the most common cause of short-limbed dwarfism, won gold at the Athens 2004 Paralympics and silver at Beijing 2008 before retiring in 2011 after a second kidney transplant stopped working.
The retired swimmer had thought he was messaging a 14-year-old girl called Mia.
He had been unaware he had been instead messaging paedophile hunters the Child Online Safety Team, who passed their findings onto police, leading to his arrest.
As reported by the South Wales Argus, Newport Crown Court heard Duke had asked her to take the train to Cwmbran so they could ‘kiss and cuddle’.
‘There was the soliciting of images,’ said Ben Jones, prosecuting.
‘He asked her for photographs in the bath and told her he would show her a good time.
‘The defendant asked her to strip on camera before the conversations become more graphic.
‘He told her how she should masturbate.’
Duke admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, with the offence committed between May 25 and June 2.
Duke’s lawyer had told the court that her client has ‘complex health needs’, with the retired swimmer needing kidney dialysis three times a week, as being registered blind and has 20 per cent hearing in both ears.
His lawyer said that Duke has a ‘realistic prospect of rehabilitation’.
‘There is no doubt that you were aware of the ‘person’s age’, judge Matthew Porter-Bryant told Duke.
‘You said that age was just a number.
‘This was predatory offending and serious criminal behaviour. You have shown remorse and you have no previous convictions.’
In addition to Duke’s suspended sentence, he was ordered to complete a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement and pay a £154 victim surcharge.
