April 19, 2018 5.45 pm This story is over 71 months old

Dangerous Lincoln paedophile jailed for almost seven years

He was found by vigilante hunters.

Parsons ,56, of Laurel Close, Lincoln has bee jailed for six years and eight months

A dangerous paedophile was caught by vigilantes after he tried to contact young girls over the internet, Lincoln Crown Court was told today (Thurs).

Paul Parsons, who has convictions for 37 previous sexual offences starting from when he was a teenager in the 1970s, believed he was chatting to the girls on internet forums but was actually in conversation with paedophile hunters pretending to be young girls.

Tony Stanford, prosecuting, said that in conversations with what he believed to be a 12-year-old girl Parsons asked her what she was wearing and where she lived.

“He went on to ask for a picture and began discussing having sex with her telling her ‘I’m looking for more than just chat. I’m looking for sex’.

“He made arrangements to meet her at the bus station but then told her his children had come round and he couldn’t meet.”

Parsons made contact with five others he believed to be young girls and went on to make sexual comments and ask for photographs.

Mr Stanford said: “These offences stem from him engaging in internet conversations with paedophile hunters who pretended they were children.”

When Parsons was later arrested and interviewed he told police that it was just fantasy talk and he would not have done anything.

The court heard that Parsons was first convicted of indecent assault offences in 1975 and throughout the 1980s was convicted on seven further occasions of indecent assault. In 2003 he was jailed for seven years at Portsmouth Crown Court for offences against two 14-year-old girls.

Mr Stanford said “He has 26 convictions for 61 offences. 37 of those offences are of a sexual nature.”

Parsons, 56, of Laurel Close, Lincoln, admitted a charge of attempting to meet a child following grooming.

He also admitted four charges of attempted sexual communication with a child, a further charge of attempting to incite sexual activity with a child and breach of a sexual offences prevention order.

He was jailed for a total of six years and eight months including a two and a half year prison licence extension.

He was given a life long sexual harm prevention order and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Judge Andrew Easteal, passing sentence, told Parsons” “You are dangerous. You have a powerful and determined sexual interest in girls.

“That has continued despite efforts over the years to curb your criminal behaviour. You display little or no empathy towards your victims and little determination to alter your behaviour.”

David Eager, in mitigation, said: “He was being targeted by groups who were hunting him.

“He accepts his actions were wrong. He does not try to justify his behaviour in any way.”