ROBERT BEEDLE FROM GREAT DUNMOW CRITICIZES ONLINE PAEDOPHILE HUNTERS AFTER GUILTY PLEA
A father has expressed frustration with online paedophile hunting groups, calling them a 'pain in the bottom,' after his son, Robert Beedle, pleaded guilty to a sex offence.Beedle, the son of Great Dunmow town councillor David Beedle, was caught after engaging in conversations with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.
However, he was actually communicating with a decoy operated by members of the online paedophile hunter group Defending the Innocent.
On Wednesday, December 19, Chelmsford Magistrates' Court heard that the 39-year-old Beedle had been messaging the decoy for over a year, first on a forum and later via WhatsApp.
Their exchanges involved discussions about sexual activity and plans to book a hotel room to spend time together.
Beedle, of Broadway, Dunmow, admitted to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
During the court hearing, it was also disclosed that Beedle's interaction with the decoy was posted online on April 26.
He is scheduled for sentencing at Chelmsford Crown Court on January 16.
After the hearing, Beedle left the court in the company of his father.
Following the case, Cllr.
David Beedle criticized online paedophile hunting groups, stating, 'The only thing to comment on is the fact that these so-called paedophile hunters are a pain in the bottom.' He also expressed concern about the online posting, adding, 'Of course it's an issue [posting the video online] because everybody is not aware of the facts.
Some of the things we will probably never know about.' He further mentioned that his son had admitted his actions and hoped for kindness in people's reactions.
