August 2022 Compton paedophile caught in police sting A predatory paedophile who prowled Newbury and wanted to rape a 10-year-old child has been caught in a police sting. The 65-year-old had boasted about stalking pre-school girls at a water park and of leering at girl Guide Brownies near his home. But Philip Saich was caught after engaging online with ‘Kevin’, who had offered up his supposed 10-year-old daughter for them to abuse together. In fact Kevin was an undercover police officer and the trap snapped shut. Sixty-five-year-old Saich of Westfields, Compton, was arrested after arranging to travel to Cambridgeshire to rape the child, the court heard. Police who subsequently raided his home then found nearly 2,000 indecent images of children, and Saich’s own defence counsel conceded he had “spiralled downwards” into “depravity”. Saich hung his head as Jonathan Sanks, prosecuting, outlined the messages he had sent Kevin, describing in detail what abuse he had wanted to inflict on a child. Having sought out a website encouraging incestual abuse, Saich had boasted he was attracted to girls as young as four and believed it to be “natural”. When arranging to travel to Cambridgeshire to abuse the supposed 10-year-old named Chloe, Saich – a father and grandfather, the court heard – told the undercover officer he would have to be careful not to arouse the suspicion of “the missus”. Mr Sanks stressed, that, although he had claimed car trouble at the last minute, Saich’s behaviour was “more than just bravado” and that he had gone so far as to arrange a date, adding that he was “serious” and “looking forward to it”. Mr Sanks added: “He wanted, effectively, to rape a 10-year-old child.” And while trying to ingratiate himself with Kevin, Mr Sanks went on, Saichs sent him photos of naked children and bragged that he “he went to a water park near where he lived to watch young girls get changed and get naked”. The prosecutor added that he had said there were “Brownies near where he sat parked in his car”. The court heard Saichs asked for Chloe to be dressed in school uniform while he abused her. Saichs admitted trying to arrange sexual activity with a child and possessing indecent photos of children between February 5 and April 16, 2020. Judge Emma Nott sentenced Saich to 48 months imprisonment, half of which he will spend behind bars, minus the time he has spent on remand, and the remainder on licence in the community. June 2022 Compton paedophile caught in police sting A 64-year-old man thought he was arranging to meet a child for sex – but he was really talking to an undercover police officer. And when they raided the man’s home they found more than 1,000 indecent images of children on his electronic devices. In the dock at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday, June 14, was Philip Saich, who lives at Westfields in Compton. Wearing a blue suit and black tie, Saich admitted trying to engage in sexual activity with a child. He further pleaded guilty to making or possessing 83 indecent images of children in Class A – the most serious category – to making or possessing 178 images in Class B and to making or possessing 755 images in Class C. All the above offences are said to have been committed in Newbury between February 5 and April 16, 2020. Judge Nawaz agreed to release Saich on bail while pre-sentence reports were prepared but warned him that this should not be taken as an indication that an immediate custodial sentence would not be imposed at the next hearing. Saich was ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register. However, Saich objected to the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) proposed by the prosecution, on the grounds that it would give police the right to enter his home at any time in the future. Judge Nawaz said that could be determined at the sentencing hearing. Saich was released on conditional bail while pre-sentence reports are prepared.