Gotcha! Mark Yarham from Thatcham caught in sting by Predator Exposure paedophile hunters

A CHILD sex predator was confronted by paedophile hunters in front of his wife.

Mark Yarham thought he had been interacting with 14-year-old ‘Emma’ - but the online profile he had sought out belonged to an adult decoy.

Yarham was arrested after sending videos of himself committing a sex act and asking to meet for sex at a hotel during the school summer holidays.

On Monday, July 22, the 58-year-old, of Park Lane, Thatcham, appeared for sentencing at Reading Crown Court.

Charles Ward-Jackson, prosecuting, said Yarham used his social media account to contact ‘Emma,’ who told him she was aged 14.

Initially the conversation was innocent enough - but soon Yarham introduced “overtly sexual” elements, said Mr Ward-Jackson, who told the court: “There was an element of planning, or grooming.

“He told her he was into bondage and explained what that meant.

“He said he was feeling horny, as he put it, looking at videos of naked women touching themselves; he suggested she could play with herself.”

Yarham went on to encourage ‘Emma’ to commit a sex act and Mr Ward-Jackson told the court: “He sent her a still photograph of his erect penis and a few short videos of him masturbating.

“He further suggested that, at some point in the summer holidays, they could go to a hotel and be intimate together.”

At this point, the court heard, members of the group known as Predator Exposure travelled to Yarham’s home to confront him.

Mr Ward-Jackson said: “They knocked on his door, which was answered by his wife.

“At this point Mr Yarham arrived in his car; he admitted he had been in an inappropriate relationship with a child and tried to run away.

“There was a tussle in which a volunteer was slightly injured; the police arrived and he was arrested.”

Yarham subsequently answered “no comment” when formally interviewed by detectives.

However, he admitted three charges of trying to cause or incite an underage girl to engage in sex acts or sexualised conversation, as well as sending several films of himself performing a sex act on various dates in 2022.

Rhiannon Sadler, defending, pointed out that her client had no previous convictions and said: “His wife was confronted by the volunteers; they conducted a citizens’ arrest [on Yarham] and they filmed and livestreamed the footage as they interrogated him.”

Ms Sadler said Yarham was “remorseful” and had been in touch with the Lucy Faithful Foundation - a UK-wide child protection charity that works to stop child sexual abuse.

She suggested that Yarham could be rehabilitated in the community rather than be sent to prison.

Judge Jane Rowley told Yarham: “This was appalling behaviour and there can be no excuse for it.

“Your poor wife witnessed these people confronting you.”

However, she added: “You’ve done everything in your power to rid yourself of this predilection; you’ve lost your good character and your employment.”

Judge Rowley sentenced Yarham to 20 months imprisonment, suspended for two years.

In addition she ordered him to complete 150 hours of unpaid community work and to pay £150 costs plus a statutory victim services surcharge.

Finally, Judge Rowley ordered Yarham to sign the Sex Offenders Register and made him subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order “to protect children from further sexual harm”.