September 2017

“Paedo hunter” helps snare Rotherham pervert

A pervert who was snared by an online paedophile hunter has been spared jail after a judge said he had suffered enough following vigilante attacks on his home.

Sheffield Crown Court heard how Ivor Dodd’s home had graffiti sprayed on it after a video of him being confronted by Andy Bradstock, who posed online as a schoolgirl, was shared on Facebook.

Dodd (54) had sent sexual messages and pictures to Mr Bradstock, believing he was a 14-year-old girl, the court heard.

Judge Robert Bartfield, who banned the publication of Dodd’s address for his family’s safety, said he had “little alternative but to admit the offence” but “had already paid a high price”. 

He sentenced him on Wednesday to eight months’ prison, suspended for two years, after Dodd admitted inciting a child to engage in sexual activity at a previous hearing at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on April 4.

Mr Bradstock posed as a 14-year-old called Hayley and used a picture of a girl wearing school uniform as its profile picture.

Dodd began chatting online to the ‘girl’ in February and in the space of a month his messages turned sexual, said prosecutor Mr Richard Thyne.

Dodd asked the girl to meet, if she would be his girlfriend and gave her his telephone number, he said.

He also sent a picture of his penis and asked for inappropriate pictures in return.

Mr Thyne said there had been no encouragement from Mr Bradstock and his messages remained neutral, so that he could not be accused of entrapment.

The self-proclaimed paedophile hunter tracked down Dodd’s address and filmed his confrontation with him in which Dodd admitted sending the inappropriate messages.

“Mr Bradstock then attended at Rotherham police station and handed over the information he had obtained,” said Mr Thyne.

Dodd was arrested and admitted he had problems “in relation to his online behaviour” but claimed he had never intended to meet the girl.

Mitigating, Mr Ian Goldsack said: “He’s had to suffer what he has done being made extremely public within his community.”

Mr Goldsack added Dodd’s home had been graffitied with the word “nonce”, he had lost two jobs, his son had been bullied and he had had to move because of vigilante attacks following the publication of the video.

Dodd, who was of previous good character, was also handed a sexual harm prevention order, told to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for ten years, ordered to carry out a 30-day rehabilitation requirement and told to pay a £140 victim surcharge.