DURRINGTON PAEDOPHILE DAVID SYMONDS SENTENCED AFTER ONLINE SEX OFFENCES IN SALISBURY

In October 2020, a serious case involving David Symonds, a resident of Durrington, culminated in a significant legal judgment at Salisbury Crown Court. Symonds, who has a troubling history of sexual offenses against minors, was found guilty of multiple charges related to attempts at engaging children in sexual communication and exploiting online platforms for illicit purposes.

During the court hearing on October 22nd, 2020, Symonds pleaded guilty to six counts of attempting to initiate sexual conversations with a minor and one count of attempting to persuade a child to view explicit images of sexual activity. The court was informed that Symonds had previously served a 22-month prison sentence, which he completed last year after being caught by a paedophile hunting team in 2018.

Despite his release, Symonds quickly resumed his predatory behavior. Within just three months of regaining his freedom, he traveled to various beaches in the area, where he was caught exposing himself to children, further demonstrating his ongoing risk to the community. Symonds openly admitted to being sexually attracted to children, a fact that raised concerns about his monitoring and supervision after his release. Despite the clear need for police oversight of his internet activity, Symonds began sending friend requests to young girls across the UK, seeking to establish online contact.

Once connected, Symonds engaged in sexually explicit conversations, sending approximately 40 photographs that clearly depicted his genitalia, with the apparent intent of luring the girls into sexual acts. His online behavior was eventually uncovered by multiple paedophile hunting teams, who identified him as the same offender involved in previous incidents. During the investigation, police discovered that Symonds had been boasting online about his past offending, further exposing his dangerous mindset.

As a result of these findings, Symonds was sentenced to an extended term of six years. This sentence comprised three years of immediate custody followed by an additional three-year extension period. Additionally, he was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which was made indefinite, and all of his computer equipment seized by police was forfeited. The court also ordered that Symonds be placed on the Barring List maintained by the Disclosure and Barring Service and that he sign the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely. Furthermore, he was required to pay a victim surcharge of £190.

Prior to this, in November 2018, Symonds was caught by a paedophile hunting team while attempting to groom what he believed to be young girls online, including a 12-year-old girl. During this sting operation, Symonds contacted multiple online profiles, sending a series of sexual messages with the intent of engaging in sexual activity. At one point, he exposed himself during a live WhatsApp call, believing he was speaking to a 12-year-old girl. However, these profiles were decoys operated by various paedophile hunting groups, including JFTI Scottish Division and Cobra, who had set up the sting to catch offenders like Symonds.

Following his arrest, Symonds appeared in court and admitted to several sexual offenses against children. The judge sentenced him to 22 months in prison and ordered his inclusion on the sex offenders register. The decoys involved in the sting operation included Natasha, Kate, Meg, Lynne, Chelsea, Kerry, and Amanda from JFTI Scottish Division, as well as Izzy from Cobra, all of whom played a crucial role in documenting Symonds' illegal activities and ensuring he was brought to justice.