There are perhaps no criminals who are as reviled as those who commit sex crimes against children.
The internet and social media have arguably made it easier for these sick individuals to come into contact with their victims. But it can also be a valuable tool in catching them.
Both undercover police officers and vigilante groups set traps for unsuspecting paedophiles. This is often done via fake profiles and other methods.
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We've rounded up nine people who ended up in court after being snared by such traps online. Find out more about them and their vile crimes below.
Colin Christensen
Chef Colin Christensen befriended what he thought were two girls aged 14 and sent illegal messages to them and a picture of his genitals. A court heard the profiles were being run by a vigilante group called the Child Online Safety Team.
Christensen, a grandfather who lives with his mother, made contacted with the profile of a girl in January this year. Despite being told she was 14, the 55-year-old, who lied that he was 36, asked for a photograph of her in her school uniform, which was refused.
Christensen sent a picture of his penis then later asked if she was offended or aroused by it. He also asked her to take a camera in the shower with her and made reference to her genitals.
Around the same time, Christensen made contact with the Facebook profile of someone purporting to be a 14-year-old. It was a profile being run by the same vigilante group.
He again asked for a photograph of her in school uniform. He asked what she was wearing then asked her sexual questions.
The court heard he said he couldn't have sex with her unless she agreed and told her the first time might hurt. Despite his crimes, the chef walked free from court.
Christensen, of Murton Lane, North Shields, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child at a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court in February.
Judge Robert Adams sentenced him to nine months suspended for two years with sex offender registration and a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.
Paul March
Pervert Paul March thought he was having sex chats with an underage girl. He was actually talking to a male police officer.
At a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court in December, the court heard how 38-year-old March asked the "girl" to send him pictures.
He then told her "you're gorgeous baby" and "you're well cute baby". He also asked what she was wearing and if she had underwear on.
March, of Front Street, Annfield Plain, County Durham, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and was sentenced to a three year community order. He must also do a sex offender treatment order and will be subject to sex offender registration and a sexual harm prevention order for five years.
The offences happened on one day in February last year. His further attempts to reignite the conversation were ignored.
Gordon Henzell
For years, Gordon Henzell's sex attacks on two girls aged 13 and 14 remained a secret. But a decade after the attack, the victims finally plucked up the courage to report him after reading he had been caught by paedophile hunters.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Henzell had grabbed the 13-year-old round the waist, kissed her neck and tried to kiss her lips, and told her she was gorgeous. The "horrified" victim managed to get away from him.
In a separate attack, he grabbed a 14-year-old's face and tried to kiss her on the lips. After they each read a Facebook post about him being caught in a sting operation, they decided to report what he had done to them.
Henzell, who tried to get his ex wife to cover for him after his arrest, was jailed for two sexual assaults and perverting the course of justice.
The 54-year-old of Osborne Road, Jesmond, Newcastle, has the previous conviction from 2020 for attempted sexual communication with a child. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and perverting the course of justice and was jailed for 15 months.
He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order, both for ten years.
Alan Mennie
Loner Alan Mennie believed he was communicating with youngsters aged 11 and 13 via the internet. But he had actually been duped by Secret Whispers - an organisation behind fake profiles set up to snare paedophiles.
The first conversation took place between October 2018 and April 2019. At a Newcastle Crown Court hearing in December, Prosecutor Andrew Espley said Mennie "made it clear he wasn't concerned she was 13" and asked if she had been with an older man.
The second chat was between March and April 2019. Mennie believed the girl was just 11.
Mr Espley said: "Full sexual intercourse was discussed." The court heard Mennie tried to persuade both child profiles to perform sex acts on themselves.
Mennie, 42, was jailed for four years and one month after he admitted two charges of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. As well as the prison sentence, Mennie, of Tharsis Road, Hebburn, South Tyneside, must abide by a sexual harm prevention order and sign the sex offenders register for life.
Nick Lane, defending, said: "He very much regrets the way he behaved and recognises the seriousness of his offending." Mr Lane said Mennie became withdrawn after the sudden death of his father when he was younger.
Jacob Smith
Jacob Smith thought he was having a sex chat with a child. He was actually talking to his wife's hairdresser who was working as an undercover paedophile hunter.
Smith made contact with the 14-year-old girl's profile on the Grindr app in September 2019 and discussed sex in "explicit" detail. The married dad, 39, who used the moniker "4trans" said he wanted to take the child's virginity and encouraged her to truant from school.
At a hearing in February, Newcastle Crown Court heard that the fake teen profile had been set up by vigilantes Guardians of the North.
By a bizarre coincidence, the decoy who was behind the fake teen profile was Smith's wife's hairdresser, who knew the family and recognised him instantly when he sent his photograph.
Smith, of Front Street, Whickham, Gateshead, denied attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, claimed he knew who was behind the fake profile and had sent the messages for "amusement" at a time when he was not thinking straight.
But after a trial by jury, he was found guilty of the charge and was jailed for eight months. Smith has to sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.
Recorder Alex Menary said he accepted Smith was suffering from depression as a result of stress, brought on by a promotion at work and personal problems. But he said only a custodial sentence could provide sufficient punishment.
The court heard Smith was "ill" at the time of the offences and has since received treatment. He and his family had to sell their home once word of his offending got out and he now lives away from them.
Matthew Jack
Online predator Matthew Jack was caught time and again trying to have sex chats with children. He complained to a judge when told he wasn't allowed to serve his full prison sentence behind bars.
Jack, formerly known as Huckle, has repeatedly been caught by paedophile hunters posing as young girls online. The 26-year-old, jailed twice before for attempted sexual communication with a child, was back in court after being caught four more times by various groups.
But when told he will be released at the half way point of his ten month sentence, he complained that he didn't want to be released early because he didn't want to work with probation. When told that is the law, the 26-year-old sat with his head in his hands.
Newcastle Crown Court heard all of the new offences happened on an app called Whisper while he was using the name troutyellow.
In September 2019 he contacted the profile of a girl purporting to be 13, which was in fact a decoy set up by Geordie Chasers. He asked for a picture and responded that it would be better without the leggings and that he "loved legs and wanted to see it all".
The second profile, also purporting to be 13 and on the same app, was contacted by Jack. He said he wanted to "meet and do what girlfriends and boyfriends do - kiss, cuddle, strip, touch each other".
He repeatedly asked for naked pictures and photos of her in a bikini. This was despite being told she didn't think her mother would allow it.
The third profile was being run by vigilantes Guardians of the North, posing as a 14-year-old called Hannah Young. Jack, formerly of Gateshead but of no fixed address, said he wanted to meet and wanted her to wear a dress and that he wanted her to be his girlfriend and to have sex with her. He asked for naked photos and said he would have sex with her the following day.
Another profile, a 14-year-old called Amy, was being run by Dark Justice, and they recognised him from catching him previously. Jack asked to meet Amy in Elswick Park and said he would strip her.
The court heard he has eight previous convictions, including for sexual activity with a child in 2017. He was jailed in November 2019 for two counts of attempting to engage a child in sexual activity and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.
Then in August 2020 he was locked up again. This was after being caught again within weeks of his release from prison.
At a Newcastle Crown Court hearing in February, he admitted four counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and breaching his sexual harm prevention order.
Liam Williamson
Blyth man Liam Williamson tried to meet a schoolgirl for sexual activity. He made contact with a profile called Laurie on a dating app called Skout and was told she was 14, rather than 18 as advertised.
Despite this, he engaged in sexual chat with her and went on to arrange to meet her at McDonald's in Blyth. The Laurie profile was actually being run by vigilante group Guardians of the North, who were waiting to confront Williamson and rang the police.
At a hearing in January, the 28-year-old, of Langley Avenue, Blyth, Northumberland, who has some additional learning needs, has been locked up for 13 months at Newcastle Crown Court for attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.
As well as the prison sentence, Williamson, who has no previous convictions will be subject to sex offender registration and a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.
Peter Schofield, defending, said Williamson is vulnerable and had an appropriate adult with him when interviewed by police.
John Gibson
Former nursing assistant John Gibson collapsed when confronted by paedophile hunters after he attempted to have sex chats with a 12-year-old on Facebook.
Gibson befriended what he believed to be a real child online, not realising it was a decoy account set up by vigilantes.
The 50-year-old, who had spent 20 years working in psychiatric hospitals until he was sacked for sending sexual images to an adult, engaged in the illicit chats last February.
Despite being repeatedly told he was talking to a 12-year-old child, the 50-year-old started to talk about sex, said he could be her "first boyfriend", sent a graphic picture and videos and requested the same in return.
At a Newcastle Crown Court hearing in January, the court heard the group behind the fake profile, which was based in the south of England, contacted a similar organisation in the North East and Gibson was lured to a date with an adult, where the police were called.
Mr Rose said: "The defendant collapsed on the floor, complaining of chest pains and he was taken by ambulance.
"During that ambulance journey he admitted messaging a 12-year-old girl on Facebook, saying she wanted to come and meet him and he said no."
Gibson, of Hastings Street, Sunderland, admitted attempting to cause a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child under 13 to watch a sexual act.
Judge Robert Adams sentenced him to three years and two months behind bars.
Jamie Teasdale
Self-confessed paedophile Jamie Teasdale attempted to groom a 13-year-old girl for sexual activity. He was twice caught with indecent images of children.
Teasdale made persistent attempts to groom and meet a child called Chloe. He didn't realise it was a decoy profile online being run by vigilantes.
He admitted he would have engaged in sexual activity with the youngster if she had been real. Police also found child abuse images on his phone and then later found he had downloaded more after his initial arrest.
In December 2021, the the 28-year-old, of Sheriffs Highway, Gateshead, was jailed for three years at Newcastle Crown Court. Recorder Keir Monteith QC told him: "You have shown you are capable of harming a child, sexually and psychologically."
Paedophile hunters Guardians of the North had set up the Chloe profile online and when Teasdale began communicating with her, he was told she was 13. He went on to groom her for sex, telling her she was attractive and asking for images of her.
He tried to entice her to go to his home and made an arrangement to meet her but was detained by the vigilantes and arrested.
His laptop was seized and more than 200 indecent images were found, some of the most serious type, including a girl aged between eight and ten being raped.
Teasdale was subsequently arrested again around two years later and had a further 12 indecent images. And in September 2018 he had distributed one category B indecent image to a woman he was talking to on Kik.
He pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, six counts of making indecent images and one of distributing an indecent image. As well as the prison sentence, he will have to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years.
The court heard he struggled with caring for his mum and his death and has been depressed recently.
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