DEANO LISNEY CAUGHT IN ST OSYTH UNDERCOVER STING INVOLVING CHILD SEXUAL MESSAGE PLOT

In July 2022, a disturbing case unfolded involving Deano Lisney, a 52-year-old man from Fletchers Caravan Park in St Osyth, who was caught in an undercover police operation targeting online child exploitation. The incident began when Lisney engaged in a series of sexually charged messages with an officer who was posing as a 12-year-old boy named James on social media platforms, specifically Instagram.

According to court proceedings at Chelmsford Crown Court, the police had set up an operation to identify individuals attempting to engage minors in sexual conversations. Lisney, believing he was communicating with a young boy, initiated contact after following the fake profile. The officer, portraying James, had initially indicated the boy’s age in their first message, which Lisney responded to immediately. During their exchanges, Lisney introduced himself as being 51 years old and mentioned that he resided in the Clacton area. He also expressed skepticism about the boy’s age based on his profile picture, suggesting that the young person did not look 12.

The conversation between Lisney and the undercover officer spanned approximately two weeks. It began with seemingly innocent exchanges but quickly shifted towards sexual topics, raising serious concerns about his intentions. The police were able to trace Lisney through his social media profile, leading to his arrest. During police interviews, Lisney admitted to having engaged in the conversation with the fictitious boy, recalling the age he had stated and describing the young person as a “nice young lad.” However, he insisted that he had no intention of taking the conversation further and claimed he was merely chatting.

Prosecutor Richard Burrington emphasized that Lisney denied deriving any sexual gratification from the messages, asserting that he was not sexually aroused by the suggestions he made to James. Lisney maintained that he believed he was trying to help the boy and that there was no intent to cause harm. Despite the nature of the messages, he insisted he would never have acted on any of the suggestions.

Lisney faced a charge of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity. The case was described by Mr. Levy as unusual, noting that most similar cases involve paedophile hunter groups who operate by posting profiles and waiting for contact. In this instance, the police conducted an active operation where Lisney liked a post on Instagram, which then led to the police officer initiating the conversation. The case highlights the dangers of online interactions and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to protect minors from exploitation.