NHS medic detained outside Norwich school by paedophile hunters

Vinrod Ramachandran, 41, had been communicating sexually online with the individual, believing she was a schoolgirl.

In fact, she was an adult decoy and a group of men were waiting for him when he arrived outside the Open Academy, on Salhouse Road, with two chocolate bars hoping to meet her.

The men held him there until police arrived and arrested him.

Ramachandran, who worked in the NHS in Norwich and Ipswich, appeared at Norwich Crown Court to be sentenced this week after he admitted a string of sexual offences.

The Open Academy, Norwich (Image: Newsquest) Richard Paterson, prosecuting, said prior to his arrest on October 16, 2022, Ramachandran had been communicating with the decoy on Facebook before sending sexualised messages on WhatsApp.

Mr Paterson said he "softened" her up on Facebook before "moving onto the sexualised messages" in private chats.

He said Ramachandran sent her photos and made video calls to her "showing his face and that he was wearing his NHS work uniform".

In the messages Ramachandran talked about kissing the girl and asked her to send pictures focusing on her chest.

Vinrod Ramachandran (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) He said he wanted to meet up with her and would be "heartbroken" if he did not see her.

Mr Paterson said the defendant said he wanted to cuddle her and kiss her and "admire her beauty" and also talked about her touching him.

The court heard in arranging to meet up with the girl, Ramachandran told her he would be "screwed if someone finds out" and would "end up in jail" and told her to "not inform the police".

Norwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) When Ramachandran was arrested outside the Open Academy, he told officers he had just come to have a KFC with the girl before going home.

He said he had "never done anything like this before".

Vinrod Ramachandran (Image: Norfolk Constabulary) Ramachandran, of Powling Road, Ipswich, appeared in court on Tuesday, having previously admitted being an adult who attempted to engage in sexual communication with a child.

He also admitted attempting to cause or incite a female aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity and arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sexual offence.

Vinrod Ramachandran (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) Ramachandran also admitted being an adult attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming.

Jailing Ramachandran for a total of 24 months, Judge Katharine Moore said the defendant was "committed" to the offending as a result of his "sexual interest in young girls".

Judge Katharine Moore (Image: Newsquest) She said he at "no point" desisted from what he was doing and turned up to meet who he thought was the young girl "with chocolate for her".

Judge Moore said he had been "planning to follow through on what had been arranged".

She recognised Ramachandran worked "long hours in the NHS" as a radiographer and had expressed remorse but had scepticism as to whether there was a realistic prospect  of rehabilitation given his "interest in young girls".

Michael Clare, mitigating, said Ramachandran, who has no previous convictions, was supporting his wife and three children in this country and his and his wife's family back in India after she fell ill.

Mr Clare said Ramachandran was working between Norwich and Ipswich and "became quite lonely".

He said the defendant "doesn't have any friends" and wanted company which is why he started communicating online.

Mr Clare said Ramachandran was "ashamed and desperately sorry for what he had done" adding he had done "untold damage" to his family life and had "wrecked his career".

Ramachandran was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) for 10 years and also put on the sex offenders register, also for 10 years.