SIMON BEARD FROM WELLINGBOROUGH CAUGHT IN UNDERCOVER STING AT GUNNERSBURY TUBE STATION

In a disturbing case that highlights the dangers of online grooming, Simon Beard, a 56-year-old man from Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, was sentenced to 21 months in prison after being caught attempting to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex. The incident unfolded as part of an undercover investigation conducted by Five News, which aimed to expose individuals seeking to exploit minors through digital platforms.

For six weeks, Beard was monitored as he engaged in sexually explicit conversations within teen chat rooms, unaware that he was speaking to a team of undercover reporters. During this period, he developed an online relationship with a girl he believed to be 13, whom he referred to as ‘Amy’. In reality, the person on the other end was a reporter posing as a teenage girl, part of a covert operation to catch predators.

The investigation revealed that Beard, who used aliases such as ‘Funman UK’ and ‘Sim’, spent a month grooming ‘Amy’ online. He engaged in highly sexualized dialogue, which was recorded and later presented as evidence. The footage showed Beard exposing himself on webcam and attempting to persuade the girl to perform sexual acts. He also inquired about her virginity and asked her to send photographs of herself, further demonstrating his predatory intent.

On April 29, Beard arranged to meet ‘Amy’ at Gunnersbury Tube station in West London, despite knowing that she was only 13. The court heard that he had convinced her to take an afternoon off school for the meeting. When Beard arrived at the designated location, he was confronted by reporters who had followed him. Instead of cooperating, he fled the scene, prompting police to arrest him shortly afterward.

During the undercover operation, Beard made a phone call to ‘Amy’, who was actually a 19-year-old actress posing as the minor. In the call, he expressed excitement about the prospect of meeting her, saying, “Having some fun is always exciting, especially when it’s a nice young girl like you. A sexy girl.” When she expressed shyness about the meeting, Beard reassured her, saying, “Well just relax in my arms ’cause we’d be kissing, wouldn’t we? I’ll keep you safe, I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Beard later admitted in court to attempting to incite a 13-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity on two separate occasions, April 8 and April 28, and to trying to persuade her to watch a sexual act. He also pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. The court was informed that Beard, a married father of two and a grandfather, was employed by the National Youth Agency from 2002 until September of the previous year. His role involved advising young people on healthy sexual development and relationships, including conducting training courses for youth workers.

In 2007, Beard organized a two-day event in Manchester called ‘R U Ready?’, aimed at educating youth workers about safe sexual practices and empowering teenagers to negotiate boundaries and say ‘no’. The event emphasized the importance of making informed decisions about sex and understanding personal rights.

The court also considered a further charge of possessing 83 indecent images of children, ranging from levels one to four. However, this charge was left on file, meaning it was not pursued at this time.

During the proceedings, Beard’s defense, represented by Sam Stein QC, described him as a church-going man involved in community activities, including organizing festivals and playing the fiddle in a folk band. Mr. Stein emphasized that Beard had “destroyed his own life and work” and expressed that Beard was “deeply ashamed” of his actions.

Judge Anthony Leonard QC sentenced Beard to 21 months in prison and imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order to restrict his future conduct, reflecting the serious nature of his offenses and the threat posed to the community.