In 2019, the Offender Database reported that Paul John Phillips, then 39, of Highgate, London (previously of Barnstaple, Devon), was sentenced to 22 months in prison at Aylesbury Crown Court. Phillips, a former plumber, was caught in a “paedophile hunter” sting operation conducted by the group ‘All for the kids’. He admitted to attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. Phillips had sent a series of vile and sexually charged messages to an online profile he believed belonged to a 14-year-old girl, even suggesting she stay at his home.
The investigation revealed that Paul John Phillips was a persistent and dangerous offender. Only last year, he had been handed a suspended sentence after police discovered a horrific collection of 2,000 indecent images of children on his devices. Among these sickening files, 254 were classified as Category A—the most serious and violent type of abuse—involving victims as young as two years old. Forensic experts also found disturbing search terms on his computer that indicated a serious and entrenched predatory fixation on children.
During the sting operation, Paul John Phillips travelled to a designated meeting point in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, expecting to meet a child. Instead, he was confronted by the hunting team, who recorded the encounter before calling the police. The court heard that Phillips had ignored the leniency of his previous suspended sentence to continue his vile behaviour. Judge Francis Sheridan noted the seriousness of the breach and the predatory nature of his actions when deciding that an immediate custodial sentence was the only appropriate response.
As a result of his convictions for these vile sexual crimes, Paul John Phillips was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for ten years. He was also made subject to a fresh ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which places strict legal restrictions on his internet use and movements. He is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by the Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police, remaining under intensive supervision for the duration of his order. Any further predatory behaviour in Highgate, Barnstaple, or elsewhere will result in his immediate return to prison.
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