In 2020, 50-year-old Anthony Chell—of Moor Street, Mansfield—was sentenced for a serial attempt to exploit a child for sexual gratification. The investigation established that in October 2019, Chell initiated contact with an online account he believed belonged to a 14-year-old girl from Skegness. The prosecution reported at Nottingham Crown Court that Chell utilised the phone to attempt to coerce the “girl” into performing a sex act and later performed a sexual act himself during a recorded conversation.
The investigation established that Chell was actually communicating with an adult member of an online activist group. The prosecution reported that a recording of Chell’s behaviour was handed to the police after group members confronted him at his home on 20 October 2019. While the force examined the evidence to secure a conviction, they reiterated that they do not condone the actions of such groups, as they can jeopardise the serial strikes against predators planned by trained officers.
GROOMING TACTICS AND JUDICIAL SENTENCING
The court reported that Chell’s behaviour represented a calculated attempt to manipulate a minor. The investigation established that his strikes involved both sexual communication and the incitement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. The prosecution reported that during his sentencing on 27 August 2020, the judiciary emphasised the need for intensive rehabilitation to address his predatory interests and prevent further serial offences against the public.
Judge-led proceedings at Nottingham Crown Court concluded on 27 August 2020. For his actions in Mansfield and the nature of the serial child sexual abuse investigation reported, Anthony Chell was handed a 30-month community order. The investigation established that he was also ordered to attend a sexual offending group work programme for 90 days and complete 20 days of rehabilitation. He was legally mandated to the Sex Offenders Register and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), both for a duration of five years.
STATUS AND STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS
Based on the judicial records as of August 2020:
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child; Attempting to incite sexual activity with a child).
- Custodial Status: COMMUNITY ORDER (30-month order commencing August 2020).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active until August 2025.
- SHPO Status: Active until August 2025 (Strictly prohibiting unmonitored digital access and contact with minors).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barred List (Indefinite and permanent ban from any role involving children or regulated activity).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court; investigated by Nottinghamshire Police.
- Criminal Record: Targeted a “14-year-old” from Skegness; Caught in an activist group sting; Performed sex acts over the phone; Convicted in 2020.
- Origin: Moor Street, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
MONITORING AND PUBLIC PROTECTION
Chell is managed as an offender of concern by Nottinghamshire Police. Due to the nature of his behaviour—specifically his serial use of digital communication to target children for sexual acts—he is a priority for local safeguarding oversight. Authorities reported that the 2020 conviction ensures Chell is permanently flagged on national vetting databases, meaning any attempt to hold a position of trust or interact with children in Mansfield, Skegness, or elsewhere is strictly blocked for the remainder of his life.
As a registered sex offender, his details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that Chell’s behaviour identifies an individual who prioritised his own perverted gratification over the principles of human decency and the safety of children. Any failure by Chell to adhere to his notification requirements or the strict terms of his SHPO will result in immediate police intervention to ensure the ongoing protection of the community from a man who has demonstrated a serial commitment to child sexual abuse through online grooming.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was caught by an “Online Activist Group” rather than the police, do you believe the law should legally mandate that all evidence provided by such groups must be “Admissible by Default” in court to ensure fewer predators escape justice?
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