ANTHONY FRANKLIN FROM REDLAND CAUGHT IN BRISTOL PAEDOPHILE PLOT INVOLVING ONLINE CHILD GROOMING

In a disturbing case that highlights the dangers of online grooming and the importance of vigilant law enforcement, Anthony Franklin, a 34-year-old man from Dundonald Road in Redland, was found to have engaged in illicit conversations with individuals he believed to be minors. The incident unfolded when Franklin initiated contact with what he thought was a 12-year-old girl from Nottingham, but in reality, he was communicating with an undercover paedophile hunter.

During these exchanges, Franklin displayed troubling behavior, including sharing explicit images and making sexual advances. At one point, he showed the hunter a photograph of a doll, which he claimed to be engaging with sexually, stating, “I’m having sex with her now, pretending it’s you.” When the hunter commented that the doll looked quite large, Franklin confirmed his actions, revealing that he was engaging in sexual activity with the doll at that moment.

Further investigations revealed that Franklin had also communicated with another individual posing as a girl from Manchester, named “Katie aged 12.” The conversations quickly turned sexual, with Franklin requesting explicit photographs and openly discussing his desire for sex. He sent a picture of his penis and a large sex doll, and when asked about his intentions, he admitted he was seeking sexual encounters.

Franklin even made arrangements to meet the supposed child at Cribbs Causeway, providing his home address and asking her to bring specific clothing items, including a skirt and black knickers. He assured her he would use a condom and made suggestive comments about the meeting, indicating his intent to engage in sexual activity.

However, Franklin’s plans were thwarted when, instead of a child, two men arrived at the designated meeting spot. Franklin claimed he was not there to meet a minor, citing Asperger’s syndrome as a mitigating factor, and he dropped to the ground in an apparent attempt to avoid confrontation. Police and ambulance services were called to the scene, and Franklin was subsequently detained and taken to Patchway Police Station.

During police interviews, Franklin claimed that he was aware the individuals he communicated with online were adults and that he was merely playing along out of curiosity about who would show up. His criminal history includes a 2013 conviction for downloading child abuse images, for which he received a three-year community order.

Franklin pleaded guilty to two charges: attempting to incite a child to engage in a penetrative sexual act and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. The case was adjourned for sentencing to September 28 by Miss Joanna Martin QC, the presiding judge at Bristol Crown Court, as prosecutors outlined the disturbing nature of his actions and the potential risk posed to children.