CHRISTOPHER OLDFIELD CAUGHT IN PENZANCE: SHOCKING ONLINE PREDATOR BUSTED BY PAEDOPHILE HUNTERS

A disturbing case involving a man from Penzance has come to light after he was caught attempting to engage in illegal sexual communication with a minor online. Christopher Oldfield, aged 38, was the focus of a vigilant group of paedophile hunters who managed to expose his predatory behavior. The incident unfolded in April 2022 when Oldfield initiated contact via Facebook, believing he was communicating with a 13-year-old boy. In reality, he was speaking to an adult operating under the alias of the Saving Our Children Online group, which aims to catch internet predators.

Over a span of ten days, Oldfield maintained a conversation with what he thought was a young teenager. Despite being repeatedly informed that his conversation partner was actually a 13-year-old, he persisted in his attempts to solicit explicit images and engage in sexualized dialogue. During this period, he went as far as sending a video of himself and requesting the decoy to send explicit pictures of himself masturbating. Additionally, Oldfield shared links to pornographic websites, further demonstrating his intent to engage in inappropriate sexual communication with a minor.

The paedophile hunters eventually uncovered Oldfield’s true identity and handed all relevant information over to the police authorities. Following this, Oldfield was arrested at his residence on Relubbas Lane, St Hilary, Cornwall. Authorities seized his electronic devices for forensic examination to gather further evidence of his misconduct.

Oldfield appeared before Manchester Magistrates' Court last month, where he pleaded guilty to two serious charges: one count of attempting to cause or incite a boy aged 13 to engage in sexual activity, and another of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. His Honour Judge Simon Carr addressed the court, stating, “For 10 days you engaged in a sexualized communication with someone you thought was 13, asking him to masturbate and send you pictures of himself doing so. You also sent links to explicit sites that no 13-year-old should ever access. In reality, you were communicating with an adult.”

In sentencing, Judge Carr imposed an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, along with a requirement for Oldfield to complete 100 hours of unpaid community work. The judge emphasized that the purpose of this sentence was to aid Oldfield’s rehabilitation rather than solely serve as punishment. Furthermore, a sexual harm prevention order was issued against him for a period of ten years, and he was placed on the sex offenders register, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities and restrictions to protect the community from potential harm.