Latest news with #paedophilehunters
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Eltham mental health counsellor had six month online relationship with girl, 14
A mental health counsellor from Eltham who had a six-month online relationship with a 14-year-old girl has avoided prison. Steve Hughes, 55, sent sexualised and grooming messages to the young girl after he sought her out on social media in November 2022. In May 2023 he was confronted by paedophile hunters as he discovered he had spent the last six months messaging a decoy account. On inspection of his phone it was then revealed that Hughes had also been messaging three other 'girls' - all aged either 13 or 14 – who were also decoy accounts run by other paedophile hunter organisations. Hughes, of Eltham Hill, claimed at trial that he knew all along that these were 'scam' accounts and that he did not genuinely believe he was talking to teenage girls. But a jury unanimously rejected his defence and convicted him of four charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. On Monday, August 18, Hughes was sentenced to 18 months in custody suspended for 18 months. He will be the subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will allow police to monitor his online activity. Prior to his arrest Hughes was an experienced adult counsellor and psychotherapist working in Welling and later Eltham. His website stated he successfully worked on issues relating to 'sex and shame'. READ MORE: Judge David Miller said: 'Between October 2022 and May 2023 you sought out teenage girls to form digital relationships with. 'You found four girls, you engaged in chat with them on various social media sites and you soon turned the conversations sexual – there is an element of grooming , particularly regarding on girl who you were in communication with for six months.' He told Hughes that if these were actual children, rather than decoys, he would have received a considerably higher sentence and one which would not have been suspended. 'Having read the pre-sentence report and the character references, I'm suspending the sentence because I consider there's a realistic chance of rehabilitation. I think you will comply with the order and won't reoffend,' Judge Miller said. Hughes was ordered to pay £4,380 to cover the four-day Woolwich Crown Court trial he elected to have.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- BBC News
Hebburn man sent sex messages to four decoy girls online
A pensioner was caught sending sexual messages to what he thought were four girls as young as 12 online, a court has Stephenson, 68, made sexual advances to girls he found on Kick, but the profiles were all being run as decoys by paedophile-hunting police, Newcastle Crown Court well as sending explicit descriptions of sex acts he wanted them to perform, he also asked two of the "girls" to send him pictures of themselves in their school of Byron Avenue in Hebburn, was jailed for almost 14 months suspended for two years after admitting attempting to engage in sexual communications with children and making indecent images of youths. 'Sexual gratification' Stephenson continued messaging the decoys over a number of weeks and months in 2022 despite being told the "girls" were aged 12 and 13, Judge Robert Adams lied about his age, claiming he was in his 40s or 50s, and he quickly turned the conversations sexual, the court one of the "girls" told him she was 13, Stephenson replied she was "a bit young" but then asked if she was a "dirty girl" who wanted to perform sex acts, the judge he was arrested, police found half a dozen indecent images of children on his phone, including three in the most serious category, with the girls aged between 12 and admitted to officers he got "sexual gratification" knowing the girls he was talking to "were younger" and he knew it was illegal. 'Rehabilitation capability' In mitigation, the court heard since his arrest Stephenson had stopped using internet-enabled devices and had sought court heard he was retired having worked in the army, oil industry and as a Adams said the jail term of 13 months and two weeks could be suspended as Stephenson was "clearly capable of rehabilitation".He will have to work with the probation service to complete relevant courses as part of his must also sign the sex offenders register and comply with a sexual harm prevention order restricting his contact with girls for 10 years. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- BBC News
Prison officer believed he was messaging 13-year-old
A former prison officer who delivered rehab courses to sex offenders has admitted attempting to chat online with a girl he thought was 13 years Sugden, 46, was also caught with child abuse and bestiality material after police raided his home in Falkirk in June last Sheriff Court heard how he was caught in a sting by a London group of paedophile hunters, who contacted police after confronting former HMP Edinburgh officer was given 210 hours of unpaid work and put under supervision and placed on the sex offenders register for three years. The court heard that 12 child sex images and a video were found in the police of the photographs were considered Category A, the most serious Sarah McIlwham, defending, said Sugden had no previous convictions and had since left his family said: "He was a happily married man - married for over 20 years."Up until this offence, he'd been working in SPS as a prison officer for in excess of 22 years."These offences have caused great distress, not only to his ex-wife and daughters but also to his parents and immediate family." Profound impact Sugden admitted indecently communicating with someone he thought was a child called Abbie - but was in fact an adult admitted possessing and downloading child abuse material, and possessing extreme porn including bestiality Sheriff Court heard that he had since sought rehabilitation and was engaging with a child abuse prevention sentence, Sheriff Craig Harris imposed a string of strict conduct requirements affecting Sugden's internet said: "In terms of harm, viewing, downloading and distributing indecent images of children is part of the process of child abuse."Those who access material bear responsibility for the abuse for creating a demand for such material."You worked yourself with sex offenders. You delivered a high intensity programme."A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: "We recognise the profound and lasting impact such crimes have on survivors."This individual is no longer employed by the Scottish Prison Service."
