A “determined paedophile” who engaged in lewd online chat with what he thought was a 14-year-old girl — using an illegally-held mobile phone — had been jailed for more than two years.
Frederick O’Brien, 49, was the subject of a citizen’s arrest by members of a vigilante group who tackled him at a north Cumbria hotel on the afternoon of November 13.
Although he tried to make off, O’Brien was arrested by police who were handed a damning file of evidence from the group.
This showed he had engaged in illicit online exchanges with an adult decoy purporting to be a 14-year-old female. These featured sexualised chat and suggestions which had begun almost immediately.
Police seized one mobile phone belonging to O’Brien which was fitted with police-approved monitoring software following his conviction last year for having illegal images in his possession. However, a second device that had not been declared to the authorities — and on which he had committed the new offences — was also recovered.
O’Brien, of Glendale Rise, Carlisle, admitted both attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity with a child, and attempting to engage a child in sexual communication; and also breaching one requirement of a strict order he was given when sentenced in 2020. He had further flouted the suspended jail term he was given for that criminal conduct.
Judge Nicholas Barker jailed O’Brien for a total of 28 months.
“You are a determined paedophile,” said the judge. “You are restless and intent on seeking out and engaging with children in a sexual way. That will not be tolerated by these courts.” He added: “People with those tendencies have no right to be in society.”
A new sexual harm prevention order was imposed by the judge. This will run for 10 years, and O’Brien must continue to sign the sex offenders’ register for the next decade.
