Kentish Express Ashford & District
Arrest after ‘paedophile hunters’ confront man
A man has been arrested after he was confronted on video by a group of so-called ‘paedophile hunters’.
Garden centre employee Tom Hill was arrested in Ashford on Saturday night on suspicion of arranging and facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.
The self-styled ‘paedophile hunters’, the Internet Interceptors, live-streamed the encounter, claiming he had tried to contact young girls for sex.
Longacres Garden Centre, formerly the Bybrook Barn Garden Centre, has said it suspended one of its employees following the arrest.
A spokesman for the garden centre, on Cemetery Lane in Ashford, said: “In reference to an alleged incident concerning one of our employees at the café within Bybrook Barn Garden Centre, we can confirm that the member of staff in question has been suspended with immediate effect pending a police investigation.
“We currently have no further comment to make at this time.”
A police spokesman said: “A man aged in his 20s from Ashford was arrested in the town on Saturday 14 January on sus- picion of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.”
He has been released on bail while inquiries continue.
Det Insp Rob Chitham of Kent Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team said: “I would strongly discourage people from taking the law into their own hands to avoid them being put in any possible danger.
“Revealing the identity of alleged paedophiles, often on the basis of little information, frequently leads to suspects being threatened and diverts significant police resources into protecting them.
“I would like to reassure the public that we proactively target this type of offence and work hard to gather evidence in a lawful manner that will stand up in court.
“Anyone with information about online grooming should contact police on 101 or Kent Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. If you think a child is at immediate risk of harm call 999.”
For further information, police urge people to contact the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) by visiting www.ceop. police.uk