Rochdale Observer

Paedophile was confronted by a mob at his home He was caught having vile sex chats by 9 ‘decoys’

- ANDREW BARDSLEY rochdaleob­serever@menmedia.co.uk @Rochdalene­ws

APA E D O P H I L E who had vile sexual chats with NINE ‘girls’ took 24 paracetamo­l tablets as an angry mob descended on his home.

Carl Evans, 56, tried to chat online with teenage girls for his own twisted sexual pleasure.

But he was actually talking to paedophile hunters who had set up ‘ decoy’ profiles in a bid to seek out potential predators.

When they went to confront Evans at his home in Salford, there was ‘considerab­le public disorder’ as members of the public displayed ‘aggression and violence’ towards him, Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

Evans had to be removed from the area by officers from GMP ‘s Tactical Aid Unit.

But even after that, Evans did not curb his behaviour.

He was released under investigat­ion and went on to have sexual chats with another decoy.

It also emerged that Evans had tried to meet up with a girl in Moses Gate park in Bolton, following conversati­ons with another unknown decoy account.

Evans has now been locked up for four years following a hearing on Tuesday.

The judge was told that Evans couldn’t offer an explanatio­n for his behaviour.

“I am told you don’t know why you did it,” Judge Bernadette Baxter told Evans.

“I’m afraid it is all too clear why you did it, you are a paedophile who has sexual interest in girls of this age who are children.”

Evans’ ‘persistent’ behaviour spanned from June 2020 until January this year.

The conversati­ons with the ‘girls’ quickly became ‘highly sexualised’ and he asked them for pictures, prosecutor Joe Allman said.

In some cases, Evans, who told them his real age, said he was a ‘nice man’ and asked whether they could ‘trust each other’.

Evans called 999 after he was confronted by paedophile hunters at his home in July last year.

During the call he made ‘admissions’, including that he’d been to Moses Gate park to meet an ‘unknown child decoy’.

Police later checked cell site data which confirmed his movements.

When officers arrived, Evans told them he’d taken 24 paracetamo­l tablets.

An ambulance was called and officers from GMP’S Tactical Aid Unit had to remove him as people tried to attack him.

But even after being released under investigat­ion, Evans had another sexualised chat with a ‘decoy’, believing it to be a child.

“I hope you don’t think I’m one of them, like a groomer,” he said in one message. Evans was confronted by paedophile hunters for a second time, and he was arrested and remanded in custody.

Defending, Martin Pizzey said Evans had been ‘living in fear’ in prison, after being ‘targeted’ when other inmates learned the crimes he’d committed.

He said Evans can’t offer ‘logic or explanatio­n’ regarding his behaviour but says he wants to rebuild his life.

“He does appreciate what he has done was wrong,”

Mr Pizzey said. Evans, of Trafalgar Street, Rochdale, pleaded guilty to nine counts of attempting to engage in sexual communicat­ions with a child, one count of attempting to cause or incite a child into sexual activity, and one count of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

 ?? ?? ● Carl Evans has been jailed for four years
● Carl Evans has been jailed for four years

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