MAP Forum

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.

"TW : Rape, Self harm, Pedophilia. I was groomed by twitch streamer @Fraanticc online who sexually exploited me, forced me into sending photos, pushed me toward self-harm while i was 16. I feel sick knowing I was manipulated like this, but I’m sharing it to raise awareness."