A PAEDOPHILE who was caught in a vigilante sting attempting to meet children at Paultons Park for sex has been jailed.

Theme park enthusiast Andrew Sealey, 39, used his interest in rollercoasters and rides as a "cover to watch, meet or speak to children".

He exchanged text messages with three people he believed to be children - notably a boy and two girls who he believed to be aged 14 or 15.

But when he arrived at the theme park, near Romsey, he discovered he had actually been trying to groom adults who were posing as a boy called ‘James’ and two girls called ‘Jilly’ and Alice’.

The group behind the sting are known as 'Not Of Criminal Element', which is run by a man called Shane Brannigan, who confronted him in the car park on May 28 this year.

The sting was similar to that performed on Andover paedophile, and former Test Valley Borough Council employee, Rodger Lee in 2015.

Vigilante group Dark Justice tricked the 45-year-old into driving over 300 miles for sex with what he belived was a 14-year-old girl.

However he was instead confronted with a member of Dark Justice, who later handed the evidence into the police.

Lee, who previously had a conviction for having sex with an underaged girl, was given a two year prison sentence. 

Sealey, who was snared by a similar trap, was sentenced by Judge Peter Henry today.

However the judge expressed some concern about the case and warned the court to "take care not to entrap people".

He said: "You were caught in a sting operation after concerns were raised about your interest in Paultons Park, and probably other amusements places as well, but particularly that you were using it as a cover to watch, meet or speak to children.

"And so it was that a series of fictitious accounts were set up by people attempting to be children specifically for the purpose of targeting you.

"I would like to make it clear I am concerned about these type of stings, but I can fully understand the obvious concerns of the public and people themselves who may have been abused as children.

"Particularly in this day and age with social media, contact is all to easy which makes the paedophiles' task - if that is the right word - to contact children, groom children and ultimately, if they are successful, abuse them in a contact offence easier.

"To rely upon these activities - these self-styled paedophile hunters as a basis of criminal prosecution - is fraught with dangers.

"In particular on occasions there is a thin line between someone being entrapped or evidence being admissible."

Southampton Crown Court, Hants, heard Sealey even gave the 'children' instructions and was well aware they were under the age of consent.

He was filmed arriving at the theme park with his wife and security had to intervene in the car park. He was later arrested by police.

He admitted eight counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and one charge of attempting to meet a child, namely 'James', following sexual grooming at an earlier hearing.

As well as the meeting at Paultons Park, the court heard Sealey had also arranged to meet the 'child' called James at Aldershot Football Club, Hants, where he was working as a steward at the time.

However, the meeting did not take place and communication between 'James' and Sealey ceased.

Sealey also sent images of his genitals to the 'girl' he believed was Jilly, whom he allegedly planned to meet at Paultons Park on May 28 this year for sexual activity.

However, he denied this and the charge was left on file.

Conversations with the three 'children' became of a sexual nature with Sealey speaking about oral sex, sexual intercourse, and encouraging masturbation.

Simon Edwards, prosecuting, said: "On May 28 this year, Mr and Mrs Sealey went to Paultons Park, a well-known Hampshire attraction primarily favoured by children.

"When he arrived there he was met by a surprise.

"He was identified by a member of the public, a self-style 'paedo hunter' who regularly creates profiles of young people on social media engaging with adults on social media which often becomes sexual in nature."

The court heard his wife was unaware of the attempt to meet 'Jilly' and that she had been with him because of her interest in rollercoasters.

Robert Griffiths, defending, said: "The reason for that not guilty plea in relation to the meeting at Paultons Park was that he was going to meet Jilly but was not planning to have sex with her that day.

"He was with his wife. He wanted to take Jilly around on a few rollercoasters and get to know her because his wife was there.

"I mention it because Paultons Park has featured heavily in the news and I would not want anyone concerned. There was never any danger to anyone that day."

Sealey, of Milborne Port, Dorset, was sentenced to a total of 40 months imprisonment, of which he will serve no more than half.

His mobile phone and laptop were also destroyed and he was put under a sexual harm prevention which prohibits Sealey from any contact with young people aged 16 or under unless with permission from parents.

Judge Henry, after outlining his concerns, added: "I am satisfied with this case that what occurred did fall into the bounds of acceptable contact [between the group and Sealey].

"I just warn that great care needs to be taken not to entrap people.

"Having said that, there is no evidence in this case that you set out to trawl through social media in order to find vulnerable children, to approach them yourself, or to instigate this type of criminal behaviour.

"But once that profile of these fictious children were dangled in front of you, you were only too keen to turn what happened into sexual conversations and that you led those fictitious children into grooming.

"The messages are the most graphic and explicit type of language."

Sealey runs an online blog on the website Theme Park Tourist.

Paultons Park is a 140 acre family theme park with over 70 rides and attractions - including Peppa Pig World based on the well known television character.

In addition, there is a Lost Kingdom area with animatronic dinosaurs and a number of species of birds and animals.

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In a report carried in this paper into the sentencing of Andrew Sealey who admitted engaging is a text message conversations involving sexual activity with children he believed to be 14 or 15 it was stated he ran a blog on the website Theme Park Tourist.

We wish to clarify that although Sealey did leave limited comments as part of his registration details on the site he did not run a blog.

We are happy to clarify this point.