June 2022 Pervert caught by paedophile hunters A Salford man who had been caught by ‘paedophile hunters’ took 24 paracetamol tablets as angry locals gathered outside his home. Carl Evans, 56 had engaged in sexual online chats with nine girls but had been talking to the ‘paedophile hunters’ who had set up ‘decoy’ profiles. Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard when the group went to confront Evans at his home there was ‘considerable public disorder’ as members of the public displayed ‘aggression and violence’ towards him. Evans had to be removed from the area by officers from GMP ‘s Tactical Aid Unit. But even after that, Evans did not curb his behaviour. He was released under investigation and went on to have sexual chats with another decoy. It also emerged that Evans had tried to meet up with a girl in Moses Gate park in Bolton, following conversations with another unknown decoy account. The judge was told that Evans couldn’t offer an explanation for his behaviour.”I am told you don’t know why you did it,” Judge Bernadette Baxter told Evans. “I’m afraid it is all too clear why you did it, you are a paedophile who has sexual interest in girls of this age who are children.” Evans’ ‘persistent’ behaviour spanned from June 2020 until January this year. The conversations with the ‘girls’ quickly became ‘highly sexualised’ and he asked them for pictures, prosecutor Joe Allman said. In some cases, Evans, who told them his real age, said he was a ‘nice man’ and asked whether they could ‘trust each other’. Evans called 999 after he was confronted by paedophile hunters at his home in July last year. During the call he made ‘admissions’, including that he’d been to Moses Gate park to meet an ‘unknown child decoy’. Police later checked cell site data which confirmed his movements. When officers arrived, Evans told them he’d taken 24 paracetamol tablets. An ambulance was called and officers from GMP’s Tactical Aid Unit had to remove him as people tried to attack him. But even after being released under investigation, Evans had another sexualised chat with a ‘decoy’, believing it to be a child.”I hope you don’t think I’m one of them, like a groomer,” he said in one message. Evans was confronted by paedophile hunters for a second time, and he was arrested and remanded in custody. Evans pleaded guilty to nine counts of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, one count of attempting to cause or incite a child into sexual activity, and one count of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. He has been jailed for four years.