January 2014
Internet paedophile caught in police sting but walks free from court
A 54-year-old man who attempted to groom a 13-year-old girl over the internet has walked free from court.
Ralph Peebles-Brown spent four months engaging the girl in sexually explicit conversations and sending her images of child abuse. He also called her mobile phone to arrange a meeting in London.
But in reality, Peebles-Brown was talking to a covert internet investigator with the Metropolitan Police, who works as part of a unit dedicated to identifying those who prey on children over the internet.
At Taunton Crown Court he pleaded guilty one count of attempted grooming, one count of distribution of indecent images of children, seven counts of making indecent images of children and two counts of attempting to cause a child to watch a sex act.
Peebles-Brown, of Barnabas Close, Axbridge, was sentenced to 15-months imprisonment, suspended for two years. He also received a 10-year Sexual Offenders Prevention Order (SOPO) and will be placed on the sex offenders’ register.
Following his sentencing investigating officer Det Con Geoff Colvin, of Avon and Somerset Police’s Internet Child Abuse Team, said: “Peebles-Brown set out to contact an underage girl through a social media site.
“Once he made contact, he began grooming her and would encourage her to engage in conversations of an increasingly sexual nature, culminating in making an arrangement to meet her on 6 October 2012 in London.
“Peebles-Brown was running late so did not make their planned meeting, but he sent the girl an apology the next day before sending her more indecent material.
“A file was sent to us by the Metropolitan Police and Peebles-Brown was arrested on 17 October 2012.
“As part of the investigation, his computer equipment was seized and more than 200 indecent images and movies were found.
“We remain fully committed to unmasking online paedophiles and making the internet a safer place.
“This investigation is a prime example of how we are working successfully with our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police and sharing expertise and intelligence in order to bring offenders like Peebles-Brown to justice.”
