Jailed: Paedophile hunters trap Telford man online

George Evans, 46, of Sutton Hill, made explicit suggestions to the ‘girls’, two of whom told him they were 13 and one 11, during online conversations in teenage internet chat rooms and other social media.

The groups behind the profiles took their evidence to his Telford home to confront him, before contacting the police.

At Shrewsbury Crown Court on Friday Evans was jailed for two-and-a-half years by Judge Peter Barrie.

The judge said Evans posed a significant risk of future offending and imposed an extended sentence which meant he would have a period of three years of supervision after his release for the protection of young girls.

Evans had admitted at an earlier hearing two counts of attempting to meet a child and one of attempting to have conversations for sexual gratification.

Ms Lisa Hancox, prosecuting, said two groups, Stand Together for Our Kids and Protect the Innocent, had set up fictitious, decoy profiles on internet sites.

Evans contacted three of these fake profiles, towards the end of last year, thinking two were 13-year-olds and one 11-years-old.

Ms Hancox said that Evans had had extremely explicit conversations. There had been discussions about Evans meeting up with the supposed 13-year-olds and suggestions that he would take their virginity.

The two paedophile hunter groups worked together and members went to Evans’ home and confronted him with the evidence, she said. They then contacted the police.

The court was told that Evans had previous convictions including one of sexual assault in 2005.

Mr Brendan Reedy for Evans, said his client had told police the girls’ pictures did not look underage.

Mr Reedy said that while Evans had been sexually excited talking to who he believed to be underage girls, he insisted that he would not have met up with them.

“When they started talking about meeting up, he made excuses,” he said.