August 2020 UK Database paedophile hunters group catch perverted Plymouth pensioner A perverted Plymouth pensioner snared by paedophile hunters after planning sex with an underage girl has walked free from court. Former soldier Brian Rees, aged 66, tried to arrange a meeting with a child more than 50 years younger than him, a court heard He also sent the girl videos of himself performing an indecent act – but in fact he was chatting all the time to an adult decoy. Rees in fact did not go through with the planned meeting after researching places to have sex in Exeter, Plymouth Crown Court heard. Paedophile hunters UK Database handed the vile chat logs over to police. Judge James Townsend said he could suspend Rees’s prison sentence because of his good character, poor health and guilty plea. He said that the offences were serious. But Judge Townsend added: “I have to reflect the fact that there was no victim, no child and no harm was actually done.” Married Rees was handed sex offender treatment. Rees, of Marina Road, St Budeaux, pleaded guilty to arranging or the commission of a child sexual offence on February 11 last year. He also admitted possession and distribution of indecent images of children. Michael Brown, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said that Rees started chatting with the decoy on social media in January last year. He added that the defendant suggested they move to the instant messaging app Klik. Mr Brown said the girl, who called herself Georgia, made it clear she was only 13. The barrister added: “He said that she was beautiful and said that he was fascinated by her.” Mr Brown said the chat became “increasingly sexualised” and Rees said he wanted to have sex with her and touch her indecently. The court heard that he also sent “Georgia” two videos of himself masturbating. Mr Brown said: “At various points during their conversation, the defendant would tell her not to tell anyone. He freely admitted that he wished she was 16 so things would be legal.” The barrister said that they arranged to meet in Exeter, but Rees made an excuse and cancelled the meeting. The court heard that police launched an investigation when the group handed over the chat logs. Mr Brown said they found that Rees had downloaded and shared indecent images of children from his iPad. He had also searched up “places to have sex in public in Exeter” on the computer. His wife was standing by him after an initial separation.  Judge Townsend handed Rees a 16-month prison sentence, but suspended it for two years, with the Horizon sex offender treatment programme. The defendant will be on the Sex Offender Treatment for a decade and was handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period. It will allow police to monitor his internet use. Rees must also pay £360 prosecution costs and the judge ordered the destruction of his iPad. Explaining his sentence, Judge Townsend said the starting point if Rees had had sex with a real girl would have been five years. But he added that he had to reduce that because she was a decoy. He also discounted the term because of his guilty plea and good character, reaching a level where it could be suspended. July 2020 Pervert caught by paedophile hunting team  A perverted pensioner from Plymouth who sent videos to a 13 year old girl of himself masturbating has appeared in court.  Brian Rees, 66 of Plymouth appeared at Plymouth Magistrates court where he admitted:  Arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sexual offence Possessing indecent images of children Distributing indecent images of children In 2019, Brian Rees contacted the online profile of who he believed was a 14 year old girl.  He sent highly sexually explicit chat which included two videos of himself masturbating After several weeks of chat, Rees arranged to meet the child in Exeter after attending a model train convention at westpoint. He said he would bring his camper van with a mattress in the back, so they could ‘go to a quiet place’ and have sex.  However, with just one hour to go, Rees made an excuse that he was babysitting and said he would have to postpone the meet. Due to safeguarding issues involving many grandchildren that Rees babysit, the UK database paedophile hunting team decided to visit Rees at his home address in Plymouth.  Rees answered the door. The team told Rees that they wanted to speak to him about his internet activity. They questioned him who he had been messaging. Rees admitted speaking to a 14 year old girl, but denied any sexual chat. When the team produced the evidence of the chat log and the masturbation videos, Rees slammed the door and refused to speak any further.  The police were called and Rees was arrested. After police analysed his phone, they found that Rees had in his possesion indecent images of children, and that he had also distributed them to other paedophiles online.  The decoy – Kellie Jakoma – formerly of the UK database was commended for the professional way she produced the chat log which secured the conviction Rees will appear at Plymouth Crown Court tomorrow for sentencing