February 2018

Jail for chef caught in paedophile hunter’s sting

A chef whose secret perverted sexual interest in children was uncovered by an amateur paedophile hunter’s sting has been jailed for 10 months.

At Carlisle Crown Court, Sean Bowes, 41, who has previously admitted five counts of trying to incite schoolgirls to engage in sexual activity, admitted three more identical offences.

The court heard the defendant, of Curwen Street, Workington, repeatedly used a social website to speak to young girls.

During his various online conversations, in November and October last year, Bowes tried to have sexually explicit conversations with the girls, believing he was talking to children aged between 12 and 14.

What Bowes did not know, the court heard, was that he was actually communicating with a paedophile hunter

Judge James Adkin noted that the defendant had been assessed as a low risk and that he had no previous criminal convictions.

But the judge said his sentencing options were limited as Bowes would have no fixed address after his release form jail.

In addition to the prison term, the judge imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which bars Bowes from owing or using the internet. That order will last for ten years.

Bowes will also have his name on the Sex Offenders’ Register for a decade.

Last month, the paedophile hunter told how he had made it his personal mission to bring paedophiles such as Bowes to justice.

He said: “He said that the defendant quickly engaged in highly sexualised conversations with the people he thought were young girls, urging them to send him obscene pictures of themselves.

“I did not initiate anything but he was very persistent and his conversation was very sexualised.

“I believe he is a very dangerous man.

“I could set up an online profile for a 12 year old girl and in 30 minutes I’d have 300 messages, 99 per cent of them from people over the age of 18. It’s more dangerous than people can imagine.”

December 2017

Cumbrian pervert snared in paedophile hunter’s sting

A child sex pervert was brought to justice after he went online to find victims – unaware he was falling for a paedophile hunter’s sting.

At Carlisle Crown Court, Workington man Sean Bowes admitted five counts of sexually communicating with young girls, sending two of them obscene pictures of himself and pestering them to do the same.

The 41-year-old former chef will be sentenced next month.

Judge James Adkin ordered background reports and told Bowes that his name will now go on the Sex Offenders’ Register.