Nigerian student sentenced to three years in UK prison following paedophile hunter sting operation
Anderson Ishiekwene, a 25-year-old Nigerian national studying in the United Kingdom, has been handed a three-year prison sentence by a UK court after being caught in a sting operation organised by an online child protection group.
The student faces automatic deportation back to Nigeria upon completing his custodial sentence.
Decoy chat revealed extensive grooming behaviour
According to court proceedings at Newcastle Crown Court, Ishiekwene—who relocated to Sunderland on a student visa in August 2025—initiated contact with what he believed was a 14-year-old girl on Facebook in early January 2026. The conversation quickly transitioned to WhatsApp, where he exchanged over 300 pages of text messages over an eight-day period.
Prosecutors highlighted that despite the persona repeatedly confirming her underage status, Ishiekwene:
Asked explicit questions regarding her school, uniform, and physical appearance.
Exchanged explicit imagery and pressured the decoy for inappropriate photographs.
Instructed the decoy to erase their chat history to avoid detection.
When the decoy resisted sending explicit media, Ishiekwene complained that it was “unfair,” claiming such exchanges were typical in romantic relationships.
How Anderson Ishiekwene was confronted at shopping centre
The exchange culminated in an agreement to meet in person on January 10 at the Galleries shopping centre in Washington, England, where Ishiekwene expressed intentions to engage in explicit physical contact.
Upon his arrival at the venue, he was intercepted by members of a volunteer vigilante group before being taken into custody by local police officers.
Following a three-day trial, a jury convicted Ishiekwene of attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming, having previously admitted to attempting sexual communications with a minor.
Presiding Judge Robert Spragg noted during sentencing that the defendant posed a clear risk and ruled that he must register as a sex offender and comply indefinitely with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
The judge added that UK authorities will almost certainly enact automatic deportation procedures once his sentence is served.
