This is the moment a convicted paedophile, who dressed as a clown at Premier League football matches to get pictures with children, was confronted by vigilantes.
Kyle Fourie, 26, was a season ticket holder at St Mary’s Stadium – the home of Southampton FC – and would attend every home game wearing his clown outfit to attract youngsters.
He was convicted of possessing indecent images of children in April 2016 and concerned police officers when he told them he would dress in the unusual outfit and have photos taken with children at games.
Fourie was found with further indecent images of children just four days after he was sentenced to a sexual harm prevention order in 2016.
Kyle Fourie, 26, was a season ticket holder at St Mary’s Stadium – the home of Southampton FC – and would attend every home game wearing his clown outfit to attract youngsters
He was further exposed in February this year when he arranged to meet a 13-year-old boy named Tyler at a school after sending him sexually explicit messages.
Southampton Crown Court heard Tyler was actually an alias set up by paedophile hunter group TRAP and officers soon arrested Fourie.
A search of his rucksack found pornography, condoms and sexual enhancement tablets – with more indecent images of children found in a subsequent raid at his home.
Fourie admitted two counts of possessing indecent images of children and one charge of attempting to incite sexual activity with a child.
James Newton-Price, prosecuting, said officers had grown ‘concerned’ about Fourie during unannounced visits to his property.
Fourie admitted two counts of possessing indecent images of children and one charge of attempting to incite sexual activity with a child
He said: ‘The officers were concerned that, despite being under a sexual order, he attended all Southampton Football Club matches as he was a season ticket holder.
‘He liked to dress as a clown at games as he would always be asked for photographs from families, which meant he was a particular risk to children.
‘In July 2016, officers also found magazine and newspaper cuttings of children and articles of child abuse and kidnap stories from the press.’
Fourie had previously been cautioned in 2010 for taking a photograph of a child on the toilet while volunteering at a Mencap charity shop in Southampton.
Robert Forrest, mitigating, said Fourie’s offending was ‘linked’ to his learning difficulties and Dr Kevin O’Shea, who assessed him, told the court it was not possible to ‘change his intellect, we can only try and change his behaviour’.
Judge Christopher Parker QC sentenced Fourie to an indefinite hospital order, requiring him to be signed off before he can leave.
Following the case, an NSPCC spokesman said: ‘Fourie’s attempts to groom a child are yet another stark reminder of the risks children and young people face online.’