ILKESTON PAEDOPHILE SIMON BRIGGS CAUGHT BY FACEBOOK STING IN DERBYSHIRE PARK

In March 2018, a disturbing incident unfolded in Derbyshire involving a man from Ilkeston named Simon Briggs, who was caught in a live Facebook sting operation conducted by a group known as Keeping Kids Safe. The group, comprised of self-styled 'paedophile hunters,' set up a covert operation by creating fake online profiles that appeared to belong to young girls aged between 12 and 14. Their goal was to identify and confront individuals attempting to engage in illegal sexual activities with minors.

One of these profiles was named Tia, a 12-year-old girl, and Briggs, aged 38 and residing on Norman Road in Ilkeston, began communicating with her. Over a period of six days, Briggs engaged in conversations with the fake profile, during which he made numerous sexual requests and sent messages asking Tia to perform sex acts. He also asked her to send explicit images and videos of herself, clearly unaware that he was being monitored by the vigilant group.

In addition to his online misconduct, Briggs arranged to meet Tia at Queen’s Park in Chesterfield, a plan that was ultimately thwarted. The group, having tracked his activities, confronted him at the park and streamed the entire encounter live on Facebook. During the confrontation, Briggs claimed he was there to meet a 13-year-old girl who was supposedly a friend, but he offered no further explanation when questioned by police.

Following the live stream, the group called the police, who arrived at the scene at approximately 6:50 pm. Officers viewed the evidence collected during the sting and subsequently arrested Briggs. He was taken into custody and later appeared at Derby Crown Court, sitting at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court, where he pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity.

Prosecutor Mark Knowles detailed the case, emphasizing that Briggs had been communicating with two fake profiles, Kirsty and Tia, during the online conversations. The grooming behavior and sexual requests made by Briggs were of significant concern. Despite the serious nature of his actions, Briggs was given a relatively lenient sentence due to his learning difficulties, lack of prior convictions, his early guilty plea, and the fact that no actual sexual activity took place.

Judge Martin Hurst sentenced Briggs to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years. Additionally, Briggs was subjected to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and was ordered to register as a sex offender for the same period. The judge warned Briggs that if he engaged in similar behavior again, he would face immediate imprisonment. The case highlights the ongoing efforts of community groups and law enforcement to combat online grooming and protect vulnerable minors from exploitation.