GARY PURKISS CAUGHT IN SOUTHSEA ONLINE PREDATOR STING

In a significant undercover operation conducted in Southsea, authorities successfully apprehended a man who believed he was engaging in a sexual encounter with a minor, but was actually communicating with an undercover police officer. The incident highlights the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat online grooming and protect vulnerable minors from exploitation.

Gary Purkiss, a 51-year-old man residing on Norfolk Street in Southsea, was the subject of this covert investigation. He had initiated contact with an individual he believed was a 13-year-old girl, using an internet platform to establish a seemingly innocent online friendship. The person he was chatting with was, in fact, an undercover officer posing as a young girl named Jane. Their conversations quickly escalated from casual chatting to explicit discussions about sex, revealing Purkiss’s intentions and mindset.

The police operation reached a critical point when Purkiss and the supposed minor arranged to meet in person. It was at this juncture that the deception was uncovered, and Purkiss was caught in the act of attempting to meet a minor for sexual purposes. The authorities acted swiftly to arrest him, leading to his subsequent appearance in court.

At Portsmouth Crown Court, the court heard that Purkiss’s actions took place during a period of personal stress. The court was informed that he had initiated contact with the undercover officer during a time when he was experiencing significant emotional or psychological strain. Judge Sarah Munro presided over the case and delivered a stern judgment, condemning Purkiss’s behavior as a serious deviation from his usual conduct.

Judge Munro stated, “You resorted in this isolated incident to behave in such a way that fell far below the standards with which you conduct and conducted your life. You did so, I find, at a time of supreme stress and that is of most concern to me in this case is to why that stress made you behave in the way you did to this person you thought was a 13-year-old girl.”

As a result of his actions, Purkiss was sentenced to a year in prison. Additionally, he was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for a period of ten years, a measure intended to monitor and prevent further offenses.

Judge Munro emphasized the gravity of the case, stating, “You attempted to meet a child following sexual grooming with the intention of engaging in sexual intercourse with that child who you believed to be a 13-year-old girl. In fact, that person with whom you conversed on the internet was a male undercover police officer, and you were caught when, for the second time, you went to meet the person you thought was a 13-year-old girl with the intention of having sexual intercourse with her.”

The judge also acknowledged mitigating factors, noting that there was no actual victim in this case. She explained, “There was no 13-year-old girl in this case so there is no victim out there who had suffered as a result of the grooming in which you engaged. Secondly, you did not deceive the person with whom you were connecting, by for example, reducing your age.”

This case underscores the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to prevent online predators from exploiting minors and highlights the ongoing risks associated with internet-based grooming activities in communities like Southsea.