DOUGLAS LINDSELL TWICKENHAM PAEDOPHILE GROOMER SENTENCED IN KINGSTON

In a significant case that has sent shockwaves through the community, Douglas Lindsell, a 64-year-old man from Twickenham in south-west London, was sentenced to a total of five years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple serious charges related to his online predatory behavior. The proceedings took place at Kingston Crown Court on a Thursday, where the court heard disturbing details about his extensive grooming activities targeting young girls.

According to court records, Lindsell had established a disturbing pattern of communication with underage girls through internet chatrooms. He would pose as a teenage boy, engaging in conversations that often involved sexual content and manipulation. His actions were part of a calculated effort to lure and exploit vulnerable minors, some as young as 13 years old.

In August, Lindsell admitted to several grave offenses, including gross indecency towards a girl under 16, creating and possessing indecent images of children, and engaging in sexual and threatening harassment of a young girl. Police investigations uncovered a handwritten sexual profile that he kept, which detailed information on 54 UK-based minors and 19 from abroad. This database included personal details such as hair and eye color, clothing preferences, school information, family backgrounds, and even intimate specifics like bra size and sexual preferences.

Further evidence revealed that Lindsell had purchased a book about teenage texting, aiming to improve his communication skills and sound more convincing to his victims. Authorities noted that he was the most prolific paedophile “groomer” they had encountered in the UK, with no other case matching the scale of his database and activities.

His online pursuits often led to girls, some as young as 13, being bombarded with phone calls after he befriended them on the internet. He had arranged to meet two girls, aged 13 and 14, but both fled upon realizing his true age and intentions. Police stated that he came “within inches” of assaulting these girls during these encounters.

Following his arrest, Lindsell attempted to cover his tracks by contacting victims and urging them to delete text messages and emails. Authorities recovered eight indecent images of children from his computer. Law enforcement officials described him as highly organized and dangerous, emphasizing his obsessive pursuit of underage girls and his systematic grooming process.

Detective Chief Inspector Chris Watts commented on the case, stating, “Lindsell had a system of hunting, grooming, and attracting young girls with a clear intention to commit acts of indecent assault. He was obsessive in his pursuit of under-age girls and continued even after his computer was confiscated. If he had not been caught when he was, it is extremely likely he would have proceeded to successfully abduct and assault children.”

Judge Richard McGregor-Johnson sentenced Lindsell to five years, with additional penalties including a ten-year registration on the sex offenders register. The judge described him as “a continuing danger to children” and criticized his actions as stemming from a sexual obsession linked to rape. He stated, “Your obsession with young girls is a sexual obsession linked to an obsession about rape. I do not accept your actions were merely dirty talk. What changed your behavior in 2002 I do not know, but the internet has made it easier for individuals like you to commit these crimes. However, you cannot blame the internet for your own decisions and desires.”

In addition to the five-year sentence, Lindsell received three years for attempted abduction, three months for possession of indecent images, six months for attempting to pervert the course of justice, and 18 months for incitement to gross indecency with a girl under 16. These sentences are to run consecutively, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the danger he posed to society.