MARK WIXEY AMPNY CRUCIS PAEDOPHILE CAUGHT ONLINE AND SENTENCED IN THE COTSWOLDS

In December 2017, authorities revealed that Mark Wixey, a 38-year-old resident of Ampney Crucis, was involved in a disturbing case of online grooming and sexual communication with minors. Despite his guilty plea and the serious nature of his offenses, Wixey was not sentenced to prison but was instead given a community-based punishment, raising concerns among child protection advocates and paedophile hunter groups.

Wixey admitted to engaging in sexual conversations via Facebook with individuals he believed to be two 13-year-old girls. These conversations took place over two separate periods, the first from April 27 to June 17, and the second from August 19 to August 31. During these exchanges, he requested explicit images from the minors, actions that constitute serious criminal behavior involving the exploitation of minors online.

On October 4, Wixey was formally charged with multiple counts related to inciting sexual activity among minors aged 13 to 15. He subsequently pleaded guilty to two counts of encouraging such minors to engage in sexual acts. His sentencing occurred on November 23, where he received a two-year community order, a five-year sexual harm prevention order, a fine of £150, and was ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs. The sentence, while acknowledging the gravity of his actions, has been met with criticism from child protection groups and vigilant citizens.

Paedophile hunter organizations, notably Dark Justice, expressed their deep disappointment with the leniency of Wixey’s sentence. A representative from Dark Justice, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated, “He deserved to go to prison for what he did. Now he’s back in the community, he could just do it again. Wixey comes across as another sex offender who doesn’t care about his victims. His victims will never forget it, but paedos like him will walk around and forget about it. Hopefully, if he reoffends, he doesn’t do it against a real child. I hope he encounters us again.”

Dark Justice, along with another group called Guardians of the North, played a crucial role in exposing Wixey’s online predatory behavior. Both groups, based in the northeast of England, traveled to the Cotswolds earlier this year to present evidence against Wixey, who had been using two separate Facebook profiles to pose as a 13-year-old girl. The groups recounted that Wixey was actively adding multiple children and quickly began grooming them by asking for explicit photos and proposing sexual activities.

The members of Dark Justice explained that their organization operates by creating fake profiles, typically using selfies of teenagers, to monitor and catch online predators. They emphasize that their approach is ethical, as they do not initiate conversations but wait for potential offenders to contact them. Their efforts are driven by concern over the lack of resources allocated to police investigations and the desire to protect children from online exploitation.

Since its inception in October 2014, Dark Justice has assisted in the identification and arrest of 131 potential offenders, with 63 convicted and 32 receiving jail sentences. The group continues to work tirelessly, often investigating multiple suspects simultaneously, to prevent further abuse and bring offenders to justice. Their work highlights the ongoing threat posed by online predators and the importance of vigilant community efforts to combat this form of crime.