Devon man jailed after being snared by paedophile hunters

An online predator who claimed he wanted to meet a nine-year-old girl to play Monopoly has been sent straight to jail after he was snared by paedophile hunters.

Richard Giles, 24, believed he was talking to a youngster called Clare on chat sites but in fact he was sending sexual messages to members of a paedophile hunting vigilante group.

He told police he invited the girl to travel from London to visit him in Devon to play monopoly but chat logs showed he wanted to have sex with her.

Richard Giles

Richard Giles, 24, believed he was talking to a youngster called Clare on chat sites but in fact he was sending sexual messages to members of a paedophile hunting vigilante group

Giles used a false name and profile for the sexualised conversations which ended in him arranging for Clare to visit his home in Torquay.

He gave the address of his next door neighbour but was spotted by the paedophile hunters as he stood in the street waiting for the girl to arrive.

Giles admitted attempting to meet a child after grooming with the intention of taking part in sexual activity.

He was jailed for 18 months by Judge Geoffrey Mercer, QC, at Exeter Crown Court. He was also put on the sex offenders registered and made subject of an order which will allow police to monitor his future internet usage.

The judge told him: ‘You arranged to meet a girl in the belief she was nine. You undoubtedly believed she was nine. 

‘You wanted to meet her and your intention was clearly sexual and was not confined, as you suggested, to playing Monopoly.

Richard Giles

Richard Giles

Giles told police he invited the girl to travel from London to visit him in Devon to play monopoly but chat logs showed he wanted to have sex with her

‘This offence was aggravated by the fact that the girl was not simply under age but was said to be as young as nine. The sentence cannot be suspended. It is too serious and the concern you raise is too great.’

Mr Gordon Richings, prosecuting, said Giles made contact with a decoy profile for Clare in December last year and within 11 days made arrangements for her to visit. He used the false name of Ben Jones.

He sent a stream of sexual messages despite the decoy telling him repeatedly she was only nine. He told her she had a ‘nice tight body’. When she repeated her age he replied ‘at least I’m right about the rest’.

He arranged for her to visit him two days before Christmas but instead of a child turning up, he was confronted by members of the Plymouth-based paedophile hunting group UKDatabase.

He told them he had been in touch with ten young girls online. The only evidence police found to support this was a chat with a girl on a site called Teen Chat for Teens.

Mr Llewellyn Sellick, defending, said Giles was the sole carer for his blind father and committed the offences at a time when he was drinking heavily.

He said he could not even remember sending the messages to Clare until he was shown logs of the conversations. 

He had already started to tackle his alcohol abuse before his arrest. 

 



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