HORRIFIC ONLINE PREDATOR CARL BIELBY FROM HULL CAUGHT IN SHOCKING CHILD SEX OFFENSES
In May 2022, a disturbing case emerged involving Carl Bielby, a man from Hull, who was caught in an undercover police sting targeting online predators.Bielby, aged 34 and residing on Beverley Road in Hull, engaged in a series of malicious attempts to communicate with what he believed was an 11-year-old girl through an online chatroom.
Unbeknownst to him, he was actually speaking to a decoy profile created by the organization Cobra UK, which aims to protect children from online exploitation.
According to court reports, the incident took place between August 17 and August 25, 2021.
During this period, Bielby initiated contact with the decoy profile named 'Izzy Jacx,' which was clearly marked as an 11-year-old girl in foster care.
The profile was part of a controlled setup designed to identify and apprehend online predators.
Bielby’s interactions with the decoy were deeply troubling; he asked her about her cats, claimed to be a single father of two, and expressed a desire for her to become a mother to his children.
When she indicated she was not allowed to share her contact details, he persisted by requesting her email address instead.
Throughout the conversation, Bielby made inappropriate and sexual comments, including sending explicit images of himself and asking the decoy to reciprocate.
His comments included a disturbing remark that she would not remain a virgin for much longer.
When police arrested him, Bielby expressed remorse, stating, 'he would end up doing something to myself because I f**ed up my life so many times.' It was revealed that Bielby has a long history of sexual offenses.
Since 2012, he has served over seven years in prison for engaging in and attempting to engage in sexual activities with children.
His previous convictions include a 22-month sentence in 2012 for inciting a female child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and for making indecent photographs of a child.
He was also registered on the sex offenders register for ten years.
In 2015, Bielby received a three-year sentence for attempting to meet a girl under 16 following sexual grooming and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
His criminal record was further extended in 2019 when he was sentenced to two years for attempting to communicate sexually with a child and breaching the SHPO again.
In addition to his online offenses, Bielby’s predatory behavior extended to social media.
In October 2012, he was identified as a Facebook predator who targeted young girls, some as young as 11, at a secondary school in Hull.
Over a period of six months, Bielby groomed five pupils, with the oldest being 13.
Parents of the victims eventually intervened after noticing suspicious activity.
One mother discovered Bielby’s explicit online chat with her daughter and warned him to cease contact, threatening to call the police.
Despite this warning, Bielby continued to groom four more girls aged between 11 and 13 over the following months.
It was only after the children confided in their parents and the school was alerted that authorities became involved.
Bielby was arrested in November, but it took until June of the following year for him to be formally charged.
During the investigation, he claimed his phone had been hacked and that some messages might have been sent as a joke.
Police recovered two indecent videos of a young girl from his mobile device.
Bielby admitted to police that he had a desire to have sex with the young girls he had been chatting with, including those as young as 11.
At Hull Crown Court, Bielby pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including causing a girl to engage in sexual activity and making indecent images of a child.
Prosecutor Simon Waley highlighted Bielby’s persistent offending, noting that despite police warnings, he continued his predatory behavior.
The court heard that Bielby suffers from depression and had become socially isolated, with his only contact with others occurring online.
Judge Mark Bury sentenced Bielby to six years and nine months in prison.
He will also be subject to a five-year license period, during which any further offenses could result in his recall to prison for an additional five years.
The judge emphasized Bielby’s predilection for prepubescent girls, underscoring the severity of his crimes.
Additionally, Bielby was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and was issued an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order to safeguard potential victims.
Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Stuart Fox from the Public Protection Unit explained the police’s cautious approach.
He stated that because Bielby had no prior similar offenses and no immediate threat to the public, authorities initially opted for caution, issuing a police caution rather than immediate charges.
Fox emphasized that human rights legislation complicates restrictions on internet use, making monitoring and enforcement challenging, but the police remain committed to protecting children from online predators like Bielby.
