BRIAN TURNBULL OF ASPATRIA CAUGHT TRYING TO MEET 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN NEWCASTLE

In May 2018, a disturbing case unfolded involving Brian Turnbull, a married man from Aspatria, who was caught in a sting operation orchestrated by the online vigilante group Dark Justice. The incident revealed a troubling attempt by Turnbull to meet a 13-year-old girl for sexual purposes, despite the fact that his wife and daughter were just minutes away at a hospital in Newcastle.

Turnbull, who is 60 years old, had traveled from his home in Aspatria, located in Wigton, Cumbria, to Newcastle with his family. They made the approximately 80-mile journey so that his wife and daughter could attend an appointment at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, where the daughter was receiving treatment at the skin graft clinic. While his wife and daughter waited inside the hospital, Turnbull left the premises and headed to nearby Exhibition Park, where he intended to meet the underage girl for kissing and cuddling.

Prior to this, Turnbull had been engaging in online conversations with what he believed was a 13-year-old girl on the messaging app WhatsApp. During these exchanges, he expressed admiration for her appearance, sending explicit photographs of himself and describing her as 'gorgeous.' He also made derogatory remarks about his wife, referring to her as 'a pain in the a**e' and complaining about her constant 'winging n wining all the time.'

When confronted by members of Dark Justice, Turnbull initially dismissed his actions, claiming he would not have classified his behavior as sexual grooming and insisted it was 'just a laugh.' However, following his arrest, he admitted to inciting a child into sexual activity. A member of Dark Justice commented on the case, highlighting the bizarre circumstances: 'This was a weird case in total. He was coming to Newcastle with his wife and daughter so she could go to the skin graft clinic at the RVI. While she was in there he wanted to meet this child. It baffles your mind, the lengths these people will go to to groom children.'

Turnbull also claimed that he was in the process of getting a divorce and that his wife would leave him after this incident. He was identified as one of the older offenders caught by the group.

Subsequently, Turnbull was brought before Carlisle Crown Court, where he faced sentencing. He was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete a 30-day rehabilitation program. Additionally, he was required to sign the sex offenders register for a period of seven years.

Earlier in March 2018, Turnbull had been involved in a separate incident where he believed he was chatting with a 14-year-old girl online. During that interaction, he sent explicit texts and images before suggesting a meeting. He traveled 60 miles from Newcastle to Carlisle, only to be met by two members of Dark Justice. On March 5th, he pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child under 16 following sexual grooming. His sentencing was scheduled for April 27th at Carlisle Crown Court.

In court documents, it was alleged that on multiple occasions, Turnbull communicated with a girl he believed to be 13, not reasonably believing she was 16 or older. The charges included attempting to meet her with the intent to commit a sexual offence, which falls under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, and the intention to engage in sexual activity during or after the meeting.