Ex-Barrister Jailed for Trying to Meet ‘Kids’ Online
Guy Sims, 53, from Bedford, has been slammed with three-and-a-half years behind bars at Oxford Crown Court. The former civil barrister was found guilty of trying to arrange sex with underage girls – or so he thought.
Four-Year SEROCU Sting Uncovers Sick Plot
Specialist cops from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) spent four years hunting Sims. In 2017, he groomed what he believed were 13-year-old schoolgirls via social media apps Mylol and Kik. Using fake names like ‘markbatx’ and ‘markviva’, he arranged to meet them for sex.
- On 27 September 2017, Sims drove from cambridge/" title="Cambridge" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Cambridge to Portsmouth to meet one “girl”.
- Police arrested him with cider, a condom, and camouflage netting in his car.
- He’d also planned to meet a second “girl” either on the way there or back.
In 2019, under new fake names ‘Yo Sarami’ and ‘Danny.dan,’ Sims tried again. He messaged another “13-year-old” and planned a meet-up in Oxford for sex.
Victims Were Decoys – But Offence is Serious
The “girls” were all police decoys posing online. Sims’ depraved plans were stopped before any real harm came to any children.
Following the verdict, Sims faces a lifetime ban from working as a barrister.
“Sims, a civil barrister, should have understood the consequences of his actions,” said Detective Chief Inspector Philip Attwood of SEROCU. “He was willing to travel the country to engage in depraved sexual activity with children.”
“Thanks to the relentless work of our team, this threat was stopped. We will continue to pursue and bring to justice anyone who tries to use the internet to groom children.”
