GEORGE FITTON SHREWSBURY PAEDOPHILE CAUGHT IN KENYA AFTER SEX ATTACK ON GIRL

In August 2018, a disturbing case involving Geoffrey John Fitton, a man with ties to Shrewsbury, unfolded as authorities worked tirelessly to bring him to justice. Fitton, aged 61 and formerly residing on Wytheford Road in Shawbury, was ultimately sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of four counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13.

His criminal history is marked by a prior conviction in 2016, when he was sentenced to 14 months at Blackfriars Crown Court. During that earlier case, Fitton was caught in a sting operation conducted by the paedophile hunting group Public Justice PHL. The group had set up an online scenario where Fitton traveled from Shrewsbury to London, intending to meet a supposed 14-year-old girl he had contacted over the internet. However, the individual he was meeting was actually an undercover member of the group.

Following his latest conviction, Fitton was placed on the sex offenders register for life, a decision made after a four-day trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court. The case against him was initiated after police received a report on July 30, 2016, alleging that Fitton had sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl he had met online. He was subsequently interviewed and summoned to appear at Telford Magistrates’ Court on October 23, 2017. However, he failed to attend the hearing, prompting authorities to issue a warrant for his arrest.

It was later revealed that Fitton had fled the country to Kenya from Heathrow Airport just days before the scheduled court appearance, on October 17, 2017. His departure was a clear violation of the notification requirements mandated by his previous sex offender registration order. The authorities in West Mercia Police, in collaboration with the National Crime Agency (NCA), were alerted in January of the following year that Fitton had been detained by Kenyan authorities.

Following a coordinated effort involving the NCA, the Crown Prosecution Service, Kenyan law enforcement, and specialized legal teams, three officers from West Mercia Police traveled to Kenya in February. During their five-day stay, they successfully detained Fitton and arranged for his return to the United Kingdom to face justice. Upon his arrival, he was remanded in custody and entered a plea of not guilty at Shrewsbury Crown Court on March 19.

After a comprehensive four-day trial, Fitton was found guilty of the charges against him and was subsequently sentenced for his crimes. The case underscores the persistent efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat online grooming and child sexual exploitation, even across international borders.

In a related context, Fitton’s earlier criminal activity in 2016 involved grooming a schoolgirl online. He believed he was meeting a 14-year-old girl for sexual purposes, only to discover that he was interacting with an undercover team dedicated to exposing paedophiles. During his arrest, police found items such as banana-flavored lubricant, condoms, and Viagra, indicating his intent to facilitate sexual activity. He had also paid for a hotel room in London, with the pre-paid key found on him at the time of arrest. His actions led to his being placed on the sex offenders register by a judge at Blackfriars Crown Court, marking a troubling pattern of predatory behavior.

Throughout these proceedings, the case of Geoffrey Fitton highlights the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement in protecting children from sexual predators and the importance of international cooperation in bringing offenders to justice.