September 2018

Pervert caught by paedophile hunters

A pervert has been jailed after grooming what he believed was a schoolgirl online

Gary Armstrong, 39, from New Romney contacted the profile of what he believed was a 14 year old girl, and sent a string of sexually charged messages

But, Canterbury Crown Court heard the child didn’t exist and Armstrong – known on the internet as “Romney Guy” – was actually communicating with adults from a paedophile hunting team

In giving Armstrong a seven year extended jail sentence, the judge said he believed he had been entrapped by the group.

Armstrong, who has already served a previous jail sentence for sex offences involving real children, was told he would be given a five year custodial sentence and the judge added two more years which he will have to serve on licence when he is released.

Judge James said Armstrong had a “warped sexual interest in children” and ruled he posed a danger to the public.

Armstrong , who admitted using the group Little Mix to try to groom the fake child, is now subject to a five year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting his use of the Internet.