May 2018 Pervert caught by paedophile hunters sentenced to minimum of three years in prison A pervert from London has been jailed after he was convicted for a string of sexual offences against a 14-year-old he groomed in the Preston area. Keith Asbury, of Dairsie Road, London, was charged with four offences after he was caught by online child protection team ‘Creep Catchers UK’ The offences include: Two counts of attempting to arrange or facilitate an act which would involve the commission of a sexual offence in Preston, over a period in October this year, by trying to have intercourse with a 14-year-old child. On October 14, the 61-year-old defendant had attempted to meet the schoolgirl, having communicated with her, and was intending to commit a sexual offence against her. Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child in a further incident on August 20. Asbury appeared at Preston Crown Court where prosecution told the court that he sent explicit images and sexual chat over a 8 week period to who he believed was a 14 year old girl. The court heard that Asbury drove from London to Preston where set up a ‘pre-arranged meet’ with the child but was instead met by paedophile hunting team ‘Creep Catchers UK’ The team questioned him on his online activity. They then rang the police and he was arrested. Asbury was sentenced to a minimum of three years in prison before he can apply for release. He will be made to sign the sex offenders register for life The probation service said he was a danger to children and the public July 2010 Text pervert is spared jail term A building inspector who sent smutty text messages to two 14-year-old boys who duped him into believing he was communicating with a girl has been spared prison. Keith Asbury, 54, of Dairsie Road, Eltham, was the “victim of a practical joke” when teenagers contacted him after finding his mobile telephone number on a wall, Woolwich Crown Court heard on Tuesday. Posing as teenage girls they sent him messages and even telephoned him pretending to be young girls, it is claimed. Despite finding out the age of the callers, Asbury continued to communicate with them and sent sexually explicit text messages on December 20, 2008, the court heard. On his arrest on February 25, 2009, dozens of messages were found on his phone to the teenagers including: “Will you send me a video of you completely naked?” Sentencing him, Judge Michael Carroll said: “There were some preparatory messages by the youngsters but they are what the law sets out to protect from this and people like you who should know better. “I am prepared to accept you need to receive help and not incarceration.” Asbury pleaded guilty to one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of possession of an extreme pornographic image on the first day of his trial on June 22 this year. He was also given a three year supervision order, including a sex offender programme, and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for five years.