A York judge has criticised a paedophile hunting group who snared a pensioner.
Recorder at York Crown Court, Judge Sean Morris says groups that work to expose and catch paedophiles need to call in the police as soon as they have evidence, and not take it upon themselves to confront suspects.
Judge Morris made the comments as he was sentencing 74-year old Terence King from Malton – who had pleaded guilty to charges involving sexual communication with a child.
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The widower thought he was talking online to a 14 year old called Keira but she didn’t actually exist. The paedophile hunting group Dark Light had used a fake profile to trap adults using the online dating site to sexually abuse children.
To watch the moment Dark Light confronted King click here.
Suspended sentence
King was handed a suspended sentence at York Crown Court on Wednesday (4 August).
The judge said that the paedophile hunting group Dark Light should not have livestreamed the moment they confronted King as it had led to him living in fear: “This vigilante group, instead of handing over the evidence to the police, confronted you at your flat.
“It was filmed and uploaded online. That is not the right way of doing things. The police are there to report crimes to.
“The consequence of that action is to inspire people to come to your door and kick it and shout at you.”
Although King was arrested and questioned by police in February 2020, he wasn’t charged until May 2021, something that Judge Morris said was, “quite frankly unacceptable”.
Sexual messages
A 74-year old widower from Malton has been caught sending sexual messages to someone he thought was a 14-year old girl. Terence King, of Greengate Road in Malton, used an adult dating site in the hope of meeting someone, after his wife of 54 years died in 2017.
But York Crown Court heard how King’s attempts to quell his loneliness turned to crime, as the pensioner met a 14-year old called ‘Keira’. Keira was actually a fake profile posted by the group, ‘ Dark Light’ but King thought she was a real person.
Prosecutor David Bradshaw told York Crown Court how the pensioner was using a dating site on 2 February 2020. He sent Keira a mix of messages online – some showing her photos of himself and his late wife, but others were sinister.
The 74-year old asked Keira if she was a virgin and discussed the 60 year age gap between them. He told Keira she was beautiful and asked her would she move in with him, when she turned 15.
The court heard how the pensioner was drinking by himself at home, as he continued to message the 14-year old late into the night and through the next day. King tried to bribe her into taking photos of herself by offering to top up her phone credit in return. He asked about her body and tried to get her to engage in sexual activity.
King pleaded guilty to three charges at York Magistrates on 25 June. He was charged with attempting to communicate sexually with a child; attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and the possession of extreme pornographic images.
Defending the pensioner, Andrew Semple said there were sad aspects to the case. King was socially isolated after being medically retired from heavy goods driving in 2009. He had joined the dating site which was for adults aged over the age of 18.
On his profile, King had declared he was 74 and that he was looking to meet a woman aged 18-65. Mr Semple said King’s behaviour was wholly out of character and he certainly hadn’t been looked to meet a minor. Indeed, once ‘Keira’ revealed she was just 14, King immediately replied, ‘I shouldn’t be talking to you’. The defence barrister told the court that King hadn’t targeting someone because he thought they were a child, rather he was interested in anyone who responded to him.
A search of the 74-year old’s laptop had found no evidence that he had any sexual interest in children. The chat abruptly stopped on 7 February when Dark Light knocked at King’s door and confronted him about the sexual messages.
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The court heard how that confrontation was livestreamed by the paedophile hunting group, and that the pensioner has been fearful in his own home for the last year and a half. His front door is regularly kicked and people shout abuse from outside. The court heard how this has had a significant impact on King’s already failing health.
The widower has failing eyesight and limited mobility because of his diabetes. His barrister told the court that his client struggles with alcohol and is awaiting test results over bowel cancer fears.
Handing King a two year sentence, suspended for two years, Judge Morris told the pensioner, ‘(on that night) cruising the internet was a vigilante group. In drink, you fell into conversation with someone who was posing as a 14-year old girl. You started talking. It became sexual but the bizarre thing is that the majority of what you sent wasn’t sexual- you sent pictures of you and your late wife’.
‘You are an isolated elderly gentleman who was married for 54 years. After that you turned to drink and committed this offence. The chat was for a matter of hours. An important feature in this case is that there was never an attempt to meet this supposed 14-year old girl’.
King was made subject to a 10 year sexual harm prevention order and must attend 20 rehabilitation days. He will sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.