Mayor of Peterlee arrested after paedophile hunters sting

A disgraced former mayor caught by paedophile hunters was told to prepare for jail after admitting he tried to groom a child over Grindr.

Lee Cook, 29, had been the youngest ever person to hold the position in Peterlee before being caught trying to meet ‘a 15-year-old boy’ over the internet.

n reality the perverted public official was caught by undercover group Guardians of the North after arranging to meet the ‘teen’ at his home having engaged in sexual conversations.

The hunters admitted to never thinking they would ‘catch someone in a high profile position in the community’.

Cook, of Quantock Place, Peterlee – about 15 miles south of Sunderland – appeared before a short hearing at Durham Crown Court on Friday. The case was adjourned for sentencing until October 13.

The court heard that one of the group asked him: ‘Why have you asked a child to come to your property?’

Cook, who had been a member of the North East Party, replied: ‘He was supposed to be over 18, it’s Grindr.’

He then claimed he thought that when ’15’ popped up on his screen he was being told the male was that number of miles of away – despite the conversation being about their ages.