From The Daily Mail:
A Pakistani paedophile who claimed he didn't realize it was illegal to have sex with 14-year-olds intends to use his conviction for grooming to help him claim asylum in the UK...
He now claims his conviction means he cannot return to his homeland, as anger over a recent child rape case means it is now unsafe for him.
What is not quite clear, is how and why it is a crime to ask online vigilantes posing as 14-year olds for sex.
You ask a 14-year old you know to be 14 for sex, you're in trouble. You ask a 14-year old you genuinely believe to be 17 for sex (because she told you and she looks it), surely that's a defence or a plea in mitigation.
Let's assume having sex with a 17-year old you know is 17 is OK. What if he had sex with a 17-year old who told him she was 14? Would it make a difference if he knew she was lying?
They tried to explain inchoate offences on the criminal law unit, stuff like "attempt". One of the questions was, is it a crime to (attempt to) do something you believe is a crime, but actually isn't? Or would be impossible, like sinking a ferry by firing an airgun at the hull? IIRC, they can do you for criminal damage to the paintwork, but not for attempted murder.
IMHO, it would be impossible to have under-age sex with online vigilantes posing as a 14-year old, so attempting to do so can't be a crime either. Or perhaps it is. I never understood that bit.
But hey, in the instant case, deportation would seem like a reasonable punishment.