In 2019, the Offender Database reported that Andrew Grimsted, then 50, of Millbrook Road East, Southampton, Hampshire, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court after being snared by an online vigilante group. Andrew Grimsted, who worked as a police resources co-ordinator for Hampshire Constabulary, was cornered by members of “Justice for the Innocent” outside his flat. Grimsted believed he was communicating with 13-year-old girls, but he was actually engaging with decoys. During these vile interactions, he transmitted abhorrent moving footage of himself performing a sexual act.
The prosecution, led by Christopher Wing, detailed how Andrew Grimsted used the internet to target those he believed were children for his own sickening sexual gratification. The vigilante group filmed their confrontation with the predatory police worker and posted the footage online before his own colleagues arrested him. Judge Gary Burrell QC described Grimsted’s actions as “abhorrent,” noting that sending such depraved images indicated a profound and disturbing flaw in his thinking and moral compass.
Andrew Grimsted admitted three offences of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and three counts of trying to have sexual communication with a child. Despite the vile nature of the crimes and his position of trust as a civilian employee at Southampton Central Police Station, the court handed him a three-year community order. This sentence was described as “diabolical” by the paedophile-hunting group, who argued that it failed to reflect the seriousness of the predatory behaviour or the potential risk to real children.
As a result of his convictions for these serious sexual offences, Andrew Grimsted was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register. He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and required to perform 100 hours of unpaid work as part of his community order. He will be managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Hampshire Constabulary, remaining under supervision for the duration of his order. Following the sentencing, it was confirmed that Grimsted remained suspended pending gross misconduct procedures to remove him from his role in Southampton, Hampshire formally.
If you or anyone you know has been affected by the individuals highlighted on this website, please report them to the Police on 101 (999 in an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details on reporting a crime. You can also report to Crimestoppers if you wish to remain completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.