BARRY TIDSWELL ARDROSSAN CAUGHT IN IRVINE PAEDOPHILE STING ON FACEBOOK DODGES JAIL

In August 2020, a disturbing case unfolded involving Barry Tidswell, a 39-year-old man from Ardrossan, who became the subject of a high-profile online sting operation conducted by paedophile hunters in Irvine. The incident drew widespread attention after Tidswell was caught attempting to engage with individuals he believed to be underage girls through social media platforms, specifically Facebook and the Skout app.

On the day of his arrest, June 2 of the previous year, Tidswell was apprehended outside Irvine’s Rivergate shopping center by members of the Child Protectors Scotland group. The group had orchestrated a sting operation, posing as underage girls to catch potential predators. Tidswell’s actions came to light when he was confronted by several members of this vigilant group, who had been monitoring his online activity.

According to the prosecution, Tidswell had been communicating with two individuals he believed to be young girls, one aged 12 and the other 14. These interactions took place between May 11 and June 1, 2019, through the social media app Skout. During these exchanges, Tidswell expressed inappropriate sentiments, including professing love to the first recipient, whom he believed to be 12 years old, and asking her to be his girlfriend. He also sent her an indecent image along with obscene messages. When she responded that she was only 12, Tidswell claimed he would be ‘careful’ to avoid any issues.

Further, Tidswell attempted to initiate a video call with her, but the calls were not accepted. In the same period, he also engaged in conversations with a male member of Child Protectors Scotland, who was posing as the 14-year-old girl. During this interaction, Tidswell inquired about her relationship status and commented on her appearance, describing her as ‘beautiful’ based on her photos. The prosecutor highlighted that the sting operation culminated on June 2, when Tidswell was confronted by the group members.

When questioned by police about the messages, Tidswell responded vaguely, saying it was ‘possibly’ that he had sent them. His behavior was described by Sheriff Alistair Watson as ‘very serious,’ with the sheriff condemning Tidswell’s conduct as ‘reprehensible’ and ‘disgusting.’ The sheriff emphasized that it did not matter whether Tidswell was actually speaking to children, asserting that ‘you didn’t know that.’

Following his arrest, Tidswell appeared in Kilmarnock Sheriff Court, where he pleaded guilty in March to charges of causing a young child to view a sexual image and engaging in sexual communication with a young child. He also admitted to a second charge involving causing a person pretending to be a young child to receive a sexual communication.

In his sentencing, the court deferred judgment to allow for a criminal justice social work report. Tidswell was subsequently placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a period of five years and received a community payback order with supervision for two years and three months. Additionally, he was ordered to participate in the ‘Moving Forward and Making Changes’ programme, which aims to address offenders’ sexual thoughts towards children. The court’s decision underscores the seriousness of his actions and the ongoing risk posed by such offenders.