ANDREW VINCE, CAMELFORD EX-POSTMAN, AVOIDS PRISON DESPITE ONLINE SEXUAL OFFENDING

In May 2021, a former postman from Camelford, Andrew Vince, was sentenced after admitting to serious online sexual offenses. Vince, aged 52 and residing in Helstone near Camelford, appeared at Truro Crown Court to face sentencing after pleading guilty to charges including producing a Class B drug, attempting to induce a child to view sexual images, and engaging in sexual communication with a minor.

Prosecutor Ramsay Quaife explained that in 2018, Vince engaged in online conversations within an internet chatroom, believing he was speaking to a 14-year-old girl named Phoebe. In reality, Phoebe was an undercover police officer. Vince used the username 51paedo and claimed to be a 51-year-old man named Martin from Cornwall.

During the chats, Vince openly discussed his sexual interests involving children, stating he enjoyed having sex with minors. When Phoebe inquired if he had met girls before, Vince responded, “yes, she was 10 and sucked me in the car.” He also sent explicit images of adults engaging in sexual acts and expressed a desire to have sex with Phoebe.

Vince suggested he could drive to Newcastle to meet her and later requested a photo, asking to use it as a masturbation aid. In 2020, police executed a search at his address and discovered 20 cannabis plants at the rear of the property. It was also revealed that Vince had formerly worked as a local postman but had been dismissed from his position.

Having considered the case, Judge Robert Linford acknowledged that Vince might benefit from rehabilitation in the community. As part of his sentence, Vince received a three-year community order with an accredited sexual offending program mandated by the Probation Service. Additionally, he was placed under a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and required to register as a sex offender for five years. He was also fined £250 for the cannabis possession.