GARY PARKER AND HIS SHOCKING PAEDOPHILE PLOTS IN HOLSWORTHY AND EXETER

A man from Devon, identified as Gary Parker, has been sentenced to prison after a disturbing incident involving an attempt to meet a young girl at a train station. The crime occurred in Exeter, specifically at St David’s Station, where Parker had arranged to meet what he believed was a 13-year-old girl for sexual activity. However, his plans were thwarted when a vigilant group of paedophile hunters, known as UK Database, intervened and captured his citizen’s arrest on video.

The vigilantes had staged the confrontation, revealing to Parker that the girl he thought he was talking to was, in fact, a fictitious online persona created to catch predators. Immediately upon realizing this, Parker, 43, who resides at Brays Close, Crediton, admitted to his illegal intentions. During court proceedings, he entered guilty pleas to several charges: attempting to meet a girl under the age of 16 for sexual purposes, attempting to engage a minor in sexual communications through Facebook Messenger, and trying to arrange or facilitate a sexual offence involving a girl.

As a result of his guilty plea, Parker was sentenced to serve 15 months in prison. His case is part of a troubling trend characterized by an increase in prosecutions related to paedophile hunting operations, highlighting the widespread concern about online grooming and predators targeting minors.

The offending behavior took place between December 4 and December 9. Senior Judge Graham Cottle addressed the court, emphasizing the seriousness of Parker’s actions. He remarked, “These offences stem from a brief sequence of events involving a fictitious girl named Sammy. The rise and prevalence of such offending are deeply troubling, and sentencing must reflect the gravity of the issue. It sends a strong message that men who engage in this conduct, regardless of previous convictions, will face immediate custodial sentences unless there are exceptional circumstances. It is quite clear that Parker’s intentions for this fabricated girl involved sexual activity.”

Court records detailed how, within minutes of establishing online contact, Parker began engaging in sexually explicit conversations with the fictional minor. UK Database publicly shared details of these communications and documented Parker’s subsequent arrest via its Facebook page.

It became evident early on that Parker was aware the girl was 13 years old, but this knowledge did not deter him from proceeding to arrange a physical meeting in Exeter with the intention of sex. The court was told that Parker’s online activity and sexualized chat had escalated quickly after initial contact.

During mitigation, Peter Seigne explained that Parker had come to realize he had been spending an excessive amount of time online—sometimes up to six hours daily, mainly playing games and accepting friend requests to earn virtual coins for gameplay. He described Parker as genuinely frightened by the citizen’s arrest, revealing that he was seeking assistance from probation services to address his behavior.

Following his release from incarceration, Parker will be subject to strict supervision and licensing conditions. The court also imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years, and Parker is required to register as a sex offender.

In response to the sentencing, an NSPCC spokesperson for South West England highlighted the ongoing danger posed by online offenders. They stated, “Parker’s shocking conduct underscores the risks faced by young people online. Despite believing he was in contact with a 13-year-old girl, he continued to groom her before attempting to meet her. Such predatory behavior can have lifelong damaging effects on children’s development. While the victim in this case was a fictitious persona, it’s important to remember that real children are targeted by predators every day across the UK.”