JOSEPH BINT FROM CHAGFORD CAUGHT IN POLICE STING INVOLVING SEXUAL PREDATION IN PLYMOUTH

In December 2022, authorities uncovered a disturbing case involving Joseph Bint, a resident of Chagford, who was caught engaging in predatory online behavior targeting minors. The police operation was initiated after Bint, aged 24 and residing at Rushford Forge in Chagford, was found to have exchanged explicit messages with what he believed to be underage girls on social media platforms.

During the undercover investigation, law enforcement officials posed as a paedophile with an 11-year-old daughter on Kik, a popular messaging app. It was during this interaction that Bint revealed his disturbing sexual preferences, stating that he was attracted to girls aged between eight and fourteen. He also discussed plans to meet with the fictitious girl’s father with the intent of abusing the child, which raised serious concerns about his intentions.

Authorities traced Bint’s online activity back to his home in Chagford through his IP address. Further examination of his digital devices uncovered a troubling pattern of contact with multiple minors over the preceding months. Among the evidence collected were messages sent to a girl claiming to be 15 years old, with whom Bint arranged to meet in Plymouth. He suggested they go to a hotel together, but the girl proposed instead to perform a sexual act in his car. The communication abruptly ended at this point, leaving police unable to determine what transpired afterward. Bint later claimed that the conversations were purely fictional and not based on real intentions.

In addition to the chat with the 15-year-old, Bint received and sent explicit images. The girl sent him five nude photographs of herself, and police discovered that he had also exchanged messages with another Kik user claiming to be 11 years old. Further investigation revealed that Bint had asked a different girl, who identified herself as 15, if she was interested in exchanging images. His phone contained a small collection of explicit images depicting girls approximately aged between 12 and 15.

Following these findings, Bint was brought before Exeter Crown Court, where he admitted to three counts of possessing indecent images of children and two counts of engaging in sexual communications with a minor. The court proceedings resulted in a sentence of eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. Additionally, Judge Timothy Rose ordered Bint to participate in a 35-session sex offenders’ treatment program, complete 25 days of rehabilitation activities, and pay costs amounting to £425. He was also mandated to register as a sex offender for ten years and was subject to a sexual harm prevention order, which grants authorities the ability to monitor his internet activity moving forward.

The judge emphasized that participation in the sex offenders’ course was a crucial step in safeguarding the public and preventing future offenses. Prosecutor Mr. Herc Ashworth detailed that Bint’s contact with an undercover officer—posing as a man with an 11-year-old daughter—revealed his disturbing sexual preferences and intentions. The investigation was further supported by the analysis of Bint’s two mobile phones, which uncovered additional evidence of his predatory behavior, including explicit images and messages exchanged with minors. This case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat online child exploitation and protect vulnerable minors from predatory individuals like Joseph Bint.