Paedophile hunters snare child sex pervert at town’s bus station
A“LONELY” man was confronted by paedophile hunters after asking for sex from someone he believed to be a 12-year-old girl.
Simon Gerrard, 49, also told the “girl” if he wanted to “touch her up her skirt” and asked if she’d perform a sex act on him.
But he was actually messaging a member of paedophile hunter group Innocence Project North West, who had set up a fake Facebook profile under the name Ellie-May Short.
Gerrard, of Cherry Tree Lane in Aughton, messaged “Ellie-May’s” profile for five days during March 2018, during which it was stated on eight occasions that the girl was 12.
He was later contacted by a female member of the group, who was not pretending to be a child, and arranged to meet her at Ormskirk Bus Station.
When he arrived there, he was confronted by the group and the police were called. His mobile phone was confiscated and police searched his home, including carrying out checks on his desktop computer.
During those searches, the conversations with the profile were found but no evidence of any further inappropriate activity was uncovered.
The prosecution told Preston Magistrates’ Court: “The conversation continued for five days. It was stated eight times that the person Mr Gerrard thought he was communicating with was 12 years of age. She was asked if she would be his girlfriend, if he could give her his mobile phone number
“He asked if she wore knickers and short skirts to school and stated he wanted to touch up her skirt.”
“He asked is she wanted to have sex with him, if she liked older men and if she would [perform a sex act].”
Gerrard, who is in receipt of disability living allowance, was arrested at the bus station and the leader of the hunting group provided the police with printouts of the conversations, which filled 28 pages.
Defending, David Woods said Gerrard was of previously good character and had not committed any other offence before or since this incident.
He added that Gerrard had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and was very remorseful for his actions and feared he would end up in prison.
Mr Woods said: “Part of this offence is a result of social isolation. He’s trying to contact other people, trying to make sense of his situation.”
Gerrrard was given a 12-month community order, ordered to carry out 25 days of rehabilitation activities and given a six-week curfew.
He was also placed on the sex offenders register for five years, given a sexual harm prevention order lasting the same time period and fined £170.
A WOMAN was left “distressed and fearful” after being groped by a man who tried to kiss her.
The woman, 19, was followed after getting off an Ormskirk-bound train at Maghull North station.
She was approached on a path towards Park Lane when the man tried to start a conversation and made inappropriate comments.
She refused to engage before the man then grabbed her hand and groped her bottom. He also made an attempt to kiss her, before he finally walked away near Park Lane.
Police said inquiries were ongoing and have released an image of a man they want to speak to in connection with the incident.
Det Con Jamie Dean said: “We think the man pictured may hold vital information to assist our inquiries. If you recognise him, let us know.
“This was an troubling incident which left a young woman understandably distressed and fearful of walking home. We are determined to find the person responsible and remove them from the streets, and I can assure people locally that we will take positive action on what you tell us.”
Contact Merseyside police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting 19100650978.