MICHAEL MUNDAY CAUGHT IN NORTH CORNELLIY AND RUA BON RAILWAY STATION IN BRIDGEND COUNTY

In November 2018, a disturbing case unfolded involving Michael Munday, a resident of North Cornelly in the Bridgend county borough, who was caught engaging in predatory behavior targeting what he believed to be a teenage girl. The incident was initially brought to light when members of the vigilant paedophile hunting group known as ‘COP – Catching Online Predators’ apprehended Munday at Cardiff Central railway station. The group had been monitoring his online activity and successfully intercepted him as he attempted to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old girl for sexual purposes.

Following his arrest at Cardiff Central, Munday was taken into custody and brought before the court. However, despite being released on bail, he did not desist from his illicit pursuits. Merely weeks later, he was caught again, this time at Ruabon railway station, which is located in another part of the country. This sequence of events underscored a troubling pattern of behavior and demonstrated his persistent predatory tendencies.

During the court proceedings at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Tom Crowther QC addressed the seriousness of Munday’s actions, stating, “It is clear you develop obsessions.” The prosecution, led by John Warren, outlined the timeline of Munday’s online interactions, revealing that he began contacting social media profiles he believed belonged to teenage girls in May of that year. It was clarified that these profiles were not genuine children but were decoys operated by the paedophile hunting team to trap offenders.

The court heard that Munday used the alias Bobby Morris to initiate conversations on Facebook. He targeted a profile he believed belonged to a 14-year-old girl, engaging her in conversation and requesting explicit photographs. Specifically, he asked for images of her in her school uniform and later requested a picture of her wearing a “silky nightie” with no clothes underneath. The decoy, reminding him of her age, was met with Munday’s casual acceptance, as he stated he was “OK” with her being 14.

Further evidence revealed that Munday sent an explicit image of his genitals to the decoy and asked if she wanted to have sex, assuring her that it would not hurt. He also suggested she could travel by train to Cardiff to meet him, and arrangements were made for a meeting on July 1. On the day of the planned encounter, Munday was intercepted at the station by the paedophile hunters, who handed their evidence over to the police. During the subsequent investigation, officers found a sleeping bag and two sets of satin underwear in his possession, which he claimed were for his girlfriend. He also claimed he was in Cardiff to meet a friend.

When questioned about the explicit images, Munday denied sending pictures of his genitals, suggesting that a friend might have taken the photo at a party. His phone was seized, and he claimed to have only had it for four days. Despite his denials, the evidence collected painted a clear picture of his intentions and actions. Ultimately, Munday was convicted of these serious offenses, but his criminal behavior did not end there. After being released on bail, he committed similar offenses again within just 28 days, highlighting a pattern of dangerous and illegal conduct that authorities and the community found deeply concerning.