Sex offender caught after chat with ‘girl’ he believed was 14

A REPEAT sex offender approached a chat room user he believed to be a 14-year-old girl and asked her if she wanted to see his genitals.

David Taylor, 36, from Barry, who had previously been jailed for serious sexual offences involving children, was caught by a paedophile hunting group after chatting with one of their decoys.

Cardiff Crown Court heard he asked the supposed girl if she’d ever seen a man’s genitals before.

Tony Trigg, prosecuting, said Taylor was “snared” by The Guardian Angels – who refer to themselves as online child protection enforcers – on January 6.

The defendant was jailed for three years in June 2005 after being convicted of indecent assault and gross indecency with a child and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

By the end of 2007, he had breached that order five times and there were further breaches in 2010.

In January 2013, he was sent to prison for four years, with a six-year extension, for inciting sexual activity with a child.

Prosecutors said he offered cash to a woman he met online if she would let him abuse her children.

Mr Trigg said Taylor had been before the courts for 17 previous offences, which he described as “serious”.

He added the lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order had been designed to prevent him from having any contact with children.

But he was caught by The Guardian Angels trying to chat to someone he believed to be a teenage girl.

Mr Trigg said: “They are what is commonly known as paedophile hunters – volunteers who operate outside the normal authorities.”

The court heard one of their decoys set up a profile on a chat app pretending to be a 14-year-old girl called Emily.

Prosecutors said Taylor contacted “Emily”, who clearly stated she was 14 and looking for friendship.

Mr Trigg said: “It was not long until the conversation took a darker turn.”

The court heard he made references to bestiality.

The group collected evidence which they presented to the police after detaining him. They streamed the confrontation on Facebook.

Taylor was arrested and taken to Bridgend Police Station. Two other paedophile hunting groups contacted the police to say they had been in contact with the defendant.

Prosecutors said he boasted about his genitals to another decoy pretending to be 13-year-old Sally-Lu.

He asked a decoy from First Line Defence For Children posing as 12-yearold Lily if she wanted to see his private parts.

And he engaged someone he believed to be a 13-year-old called Chelsea in a conversation about bestiality.

When his home was searched, his friend said they did not have an internet connection due to his offending history and said Taylor went to the library to use the internet.

Officers found a mobile phone hidden in his bed sheets and recovered the messages.

Taylor, of Winston Road, Barry, admitted four counts of attempting sexual communication with a child in breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Caroline Rees QC, defending, accepted the offences were “flagrant” breaches.

She said her client was struggling to fit back into society after being in prison and “returned to his old ways”. Ms Rees stressed there were no actual victims.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke jailed him for three years and the indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order remains in place.

On its Facebook page, The Guardian Angels said: “[We] would like to thank all the decoys in this case.”