PAUL ROBERTS CAUGHT IN DARTFORD TRYING TO MEET TEEN IN ELTHAM GRAVEYARD BY VIGILANTE GROUP
A man identified as Paul Roberts, aged 43, from Wilks Road in Dartford, found himself at the center of a disturbing incident involving an attempted meeting with a minor in a graveyard.The incident unfolded in Eltham, where Roberts had arranged to meet what he believed was a 14-year-old boy for sexual purposes.
The meeting was set to take place at Falconwood Cemetery, a location where the boy’s grandparents are buried.
Roberts engaged in a series of conversations with what he thought was a teenage boy, exchanging numerous explicit messages that indicated his intent to engage in sexual activity.
The communication was part of a grooming process, which ultimately led to the planned encounter.
On July 24 of the previous year, Roberts arrived at Falconwood Cemetery expecting to meet the minor.
However, instead of the teenager, he was confronted by members of a vigilante paedophile hunting group known as The Hunted One.
According to a member of The Hunted One, Roberts displayed aggressive behavior and was notably determined to escape the scene once confronted.
The group’s intervention prevented what could have been a serious criminal act.
Roberts’s initial plea was not guilty to charges of attempting to meet a child for sexual purposes, but he later changed his plea to guilty.
He admitted to attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and to attempting to pervert the course of justice.
In court proceedings held at Woolwich Crown Court on May 12, Roberts was sentenced to 22 months in prison.
However, the sentence was suspended for 18 months, meaning he will not serve time unless he commits another offense within that period.
Additionally, Roberts was ordered to complete 100 hours of sex offender’s rehabilitation programs and 100 hours of unpaid community service.
Authorities have issued warnings regarding vigilantism following an incident at Bluewater, where The Hunted One’s sting operation resulted in two passersby engaging in a fight with the alleged paedophile.
The group has announced that it will cease streaming sting operations and has taken its website offline.
Despite this, The Hunted One remains active on social media platforms, continuing to post updates and information about their activities.
