71-Year-Old Jailed for Trying to Lure ‘Girls’ Online
A 71-year-old pensioner from Kettering has been locked up after attempting to groom what he thought were underage girls online – but were actually decoys set up by vigilante paedophile hunters.
Griffiths Caught in Online Sting
William Griffiths was caught after exchanging explicit messages with a fake 12-year-old between 8 November and 14 December last year. He sent sexual messages, a topless photo of himself, and demanded images in return.
Unbeknown to Griffiths, the supposed “girl” was an online decoy. The paedophile hunter group tipped off Northamptonshire Police, who swooped on the pensioner at his home.
More Sick Chats on Facebook
Police then received further evidence of Griffiths chatting to another decoy, posing as a 14-year-old on Facebook. Between 29 October and 13 November, Griffiths again sent explicit messages.
He was charged with:
- Two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child
- One count of arranging/facilitating a child sex offence
27 Months Behind Bars and Sexual Risk Order
Griffiths initially refused to plead but later admitted guilt on all charges at Northampton Crown Court on 27 January. On 25 March, he was sentenced to 27 months in prison and slapped with a five-year Sexual Risk Order.
Decider Detective Constable Ruth Marshall said: “The private conversations William Griffiths had with the decoys were unsettling. I’m pleased he has been brought to justice. Though no real child was involved, Griffiths believed he was speaking with girls aged 12 and 14.”
“This case shows that we are committed to protecting children in Northamptonshire and will act on all reports to bring offenders to justice.”
