April 2023

Paedophile hunters confront Gloucester offender at his workplace

A paedophile hunting group turned up to confront a 28 year old man at his Gloucester workplace after he had engaged in online sex chat with a woman posing as a 14 year old girl

Carl James, of London rd, Gloucester, had urged the ‘girl’ to masturbate and had asked her what she would like him to do with her if they met and whether she would like him to touch her breasts.

At Gloucester Crown Court, James admitted attempted incitment of the ‘girl’ to perform a sex act and was sentenced to a two year community order with 80 hours of unpaid work, and an order to take part in a rehabilitation programme.

Judge Rupert Lowe told James he was sparing him prison on the grounds that this was his first criminal offence of any kind.

“This is your first time in trouble with the law,” he said. “You were drawn into a trap laid by a group called ‘Saving Our Children Online.’ They are a group known as paedophile hunters.

“I am not going to say any more about groups of that sort and the various ways in which they might be regarded, but the fact is that group, with a particular woman volunteer, set up a profile of a 14 year old girl called Savannah.

“You shouldn’t have been on line looking for young teenage girls to suggest sexual activity with.

“You know perfectly well you shouldn’t have. It is an offence to do so and it is quite a serious offence.

“You immediately admitted to the police what you had done. You didn’t seek to deny it and you were tearful when first questioned. You expressed what in my view was genuine remorse.”

From the dock, James said “I know I’ve done wrong. I just want to get my head sorted. I think this programme will be good for me. I deserve what I get.”

Prosecutor Mark Worsley had told the court it was on 23rd September last year that the paedophile hunting group went to James’ workplace in the Triangle, Gloucester, and confronted him. The police were called and he was arrested.