August 2022

Jail for Barrow pervert caught in sting by ‘paedophile hunters’

A pervert who was caught trying to meet who he thought was a teenage girl has been jailed.

Darren Rybak was stung by a group of so-called paedophile hunters at Barrow railway station.

The 50-year-old had been sending sexual messages to an account pretending to be a 13-year-old girl from Manchester.

But Rybak had been in contact with a decoy account run by online group the Elusive Child Protection Unit.

He was confronted at Barrow railway station by the activists on April 30 and arrested by police.

A video of the sting was posted on social media by the group.

In the video Rybak was confronted by members of the group outside the railway station, who claim he has arrived there to meet a girl who has travelled more than two hours from Manchester.

Rybak told the group he was going to take the ‘girl’ back to his home to ‘watch movies’.

He also admitted sending explicit images of himself to the decoy account.

Rybak also told the group he would class himself as a ‘paedophile’.

The dating site account he had communicated with was operated by a member of the group. 

Rybak, of Nelson Street in Barrow, previously admitted attempting to meet a girl under 16 years following grooming and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

At Preston Crown Court he was jailed for 18 months.

He was handed a sexual harm prevention order lasting ten years.

June 2022

Barrow man confronted by ‘paedophile hunters’ convicted of child sex offences

A pervert caught by a group of ‘paedophile hunters’ attempting to meet a teenage girl has been convicted of child sex offences.  

Darren Rybak was stung by the group at Barrow’s railway station after he exchanged messages with a 13-year-old girl who turned out to be a decoy.

A video of the sting was posted on social media by the group Elusive Child Protection Unit.

Rybak, 50, of Nelson Street in Barrow, has now admitted attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. 

He is due to be sentenced at Preston Crown Court.

In the video Rybak is confronted by members of the group outside the railway station, who claim he has arrived there to meet a girl who has travelled more than two hours from Manchester.

Rybak tells the group he was going to take the ‘girl’ back to his home to ‘watch movies’.

He also admits sending explicit images of himself to the decoy account.

Rybak also tells the group he would class himself as a ‘paedophile’.

The dating site account he had communicated with was operated by a member of the group. 

Rybak is due to be sentenced for the offences on August 9.

Until then he will be subject to notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act