ANDREW HOLDSWORTH-WILD TRURO PAEDOPHILE CAUGHT IN LONDON POLICE STING

In June 2013, a disturbing case unfolded involving Andrew Holdsworth-Wild, a 59-year-old man from Truro, Cornwall, who was convicted of attempting to engage in sexual activities with a minor and her mother. The incident took place at Victoria Station in central London, where police apprehended him during an undercover operation.

Holdsworth-Wild, who was wheelchair-bound due to muscular dystrophy, was caught carrying items that included condoms, a box of Smarties, a colouring book, and train tickets to Maidstone, Kent. These items, along with his online communications, painted a troubling picture of his intentions. The police had been monitoring his online activities after he initiated contact on the True Nudist website, seeking to arrange a sexual encounter with a girl he referred to as 'Chloe' and her mother, 'Jo'.

Unbeknownst to him, the police had set up an undercover operation, with an officer known as 'Jo' posing as the mother willing to facilitate such an encounter. The conversations between Holdsworth-Wild and the undercover officer revealed his disturbing fantasies. He expressed a desire to 'have kids play with me' and made incestuous suggestions, indicating a clear interest in engaging in illegal sexual activities involving minors.

The discussions then moved to an MSN forum, where Holdsworth-Wild openly discussed his enjoyment of getting naked with his imaginary 'daughter' and engaging in 'playing, having sex and sexy times'. He also stated that he would 'love to play with a family', further emphasizing his disturbing inclinations. During these exchanges, he suggested that he would like to 'have kids play with me', a statement that the court recognized as an unambiguous indication of paedophilic intent.

On July 21, 2011, police arrested Holdsworth-Wild at Victoria Station as he was waiting to meet the undercover officer and her fictitious daughter. He was prepared with condoms, Smarties, and a colouring book, and had train tickets to Maidstone, Kent. The police had already recorded his conversations, which confirmed his intentions to commit a child sex offence. The police also found that he had possessed a level one indecent image of a child at the start of his original trial in August 2012.

During the court proceedings, Holdsworth-Wild, who was visibly emotional and wept as he was led from the court, pleaded for not to be handcuffed to a dock officer. His defense argued that he was suffering from depression and was overwhelmed by debt, living a lonely life away from his wife in a motel in Maidstone. Despite these mitigating factors, Judge John Price emphasized that an immediate custodial sentence was necessary, stating, 'I have no doubt he intended, had he been able to do so, to commit the act.'

He was convicted after a retrial in April of arranging or facilitating a child sex offence, nearly two years after his arrest. The court sentenced him to two-and-a-half years in prison. Following his conviction, he was dismissed from his role as an inclusion and access officer at Westminster Council after an internal investigation.

Prosecutor James Norman summarized the case, stating, 'This case is, in short, about the defendant’s efforts to have sex with a five-year-old girl. Between February and July 2011, he made arrangements to meet with a girl called Chloe and her mother, Jo, at Victoria Station, intending to take them to a Travelodge in Kent.'

Norman further explained that the only individuals who actually met Holdsworth-Wild were police officers, as the girl 'Chloe' was a fictitious character created for the sting. The defendant admitted to the online conversations but claimed they were fantasies he never intended to act upon. However, the evidence collected by police, including recorded conversations, proved his clear intent and paedophilic inclinations.

In his online exchanges, Holdsworth-Wild described how he and his imaginary daughter 'started getting nude at home' and expressed a desire to 'share our bodies'. He also asked if her 10-year-old son was 'old enough to understand your needs', suggesting an interest in incestuous activities. These statements, according to the prosecution, demonstrated a disturbing pattern of paedophilic intent and a willingness to act if given the opportunity.

At the time of his arrest, Holdsworth-Wild was living in a state of depression, struggling with debt, and living apart from his wife. He was still burdened with approximately £50,000 of debt and was living off benefits. His life was described as lonely, and he was said to be living in a motel in Maidstone at the time of the offence. Despite these personal struggles, the court determined that his actions warranted a custodial sentence, which was handed down on May 3, 2013, by Judge John Price, who emphasized the seriousness of his intentions and the need for public protection.