ANDREW GIDLEY FROM CHRISTCHURCH SENTENCED AFTER PAEDOPHILE HUNTER STING IN CHRISTCHURCH

In a significant case that has drawn considerable attention, Andrew Gidley, a 29-year-old resident of Dairy Close in Christchurch, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison following his involvement in a disturbing online grooming scheme. The incident came to light after Gidley was caught in a sting operation conducted by a paedophile hunter group, which had set up a fake profile to lure potential offenders.

According to court proceedings, Gidley initiated contact with what he believed was a 12-year-old girl named Mollie Spencer through a social networking platform. The conversation was subsequently transferred to the Kik messaging app, where the defendant’s actions took a deeply troubling turn. Prosecutor Peter Wright outlined that Gidley’s exchanges with the fake profile quickly became sexual in nature. He sent explicit images of himself, including photographs of his genitalia, and even a video featuring an adult woman performing a sexual act on him.

Furthermore, Gidley encouraged the fictitious girl to perform sexual acts on herself. The conversation escalated to a horrifying level when, by the end of their chat, he instructed the girl to carry out sexual acts on her younger sister while she was asleep. This revelation underscores the severity of his intentions and the disturbing mindset behind his actions.

His arrest occurred on August 16th, when members of the paedophile hunter group confronted him at his doorstep in Christchurch. Following his arrest, Gidley was taken into custody and subsequently admitted to his offenses during police interviews. He faced three charges in total: two counts of attempting to incite a girl under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, and one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child.

During the court hearing, Judge Robert Pawson addressed Gidley’s claims that his motivations were not sexual, describing such assertions as “nonsense.” The judge noted that Gidley had been assessed as a low risk but emphasized that his offending occurred during a period when his life was described as “drifting.” Importantly, the judge highlighted that the case involved the “corruption of a younger sibling,” adding a layer of gravity to the offense.

In sentencing, Judge Pawson imposed a term of four years and eight months in prison. Additionally, Gidley was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life and was subject to a 15-year sexual harm prevention order. This case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by online predators and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to protect vulnerable individuals in Christchurch and beyond.