A weeping Bootle Paedophile, Alan Thomley, lamented as he was incarcerated following his apprehension in three paedophile hunter operations.
Alan Thomley participated in inappropriate online conversations with three decoy profiles he assumed to be underage girls as young as 13. The 51-year-old enquired of one of the alleged minors on the colour of her underwear and subsequently exposed himself on tape while in the bath to the others.
On Tuesday, Liverpool Crown Court was informed that he initiated communication with a ’13-year-old’ via the messaging site SayHi in July 2021, thereafter continuing the conversation on WhatsApp throughout the subsequent month. Alan Thomley, residing on Longfield Road in Bootle, enquired about the colour of her underwear and instructed her to raise her top to see her bra.
Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, detailed how the paedophile remarked that girl was “sexy” and has “sexy eyes.” He subsequently initiated communication with a hunter posing as a 14-year-old girl on the same platform, soliciting explicit photographs.
Alan Thomley again instructed her to lift up her top and offered to video chat with her as he performed a sex act while bathing. In August, the defendant began attempting to groom another supposed 14-year-old – again asking for indecent images and filming himself in the bath, as well as “asking her what her bra size was”.
He was eventually confronted at his workplace in Manchester by the groups on August 20 and was arrested. Under interview with police, Thomley “denied any sexual motivation”.
This is the second time he has been convicted for such offences, previously being caught in such a sting back in 2015 before breaching his sexual harm prevention order during 2017. The court was told he acts a carer to his “vulnerable” partner and gained new employment after losing his job once caught out.
Alan Thomley admitted three counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of attempting to incite a child to watch sexual activity and three counts of attempting sexual communications with a child. He was jailed for 45 months, handed a new lifetime SHPO and told to sign the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.
Sentencing, Recorder David Knifton KC said: “You engaged in extensive online chats, apparently with three girls aged 13 and 14. In fact, unbeknown to you, the teenage girls were adult members of vigilante groups seeking to catch paedophiles by acting as decoys.
“Even then, you denied any sexual motivation – suggesting you were simply lonely and keen to engage in contact with females you suggested were adults. It appears your sexual offending resumed due to difficulties in your relationship with your partner and what you describe as a lack of sexual activity.
“Had you been in communication with real children, there would undoubtedly have been the potential for a high level of lasting sexual and emotional harm. You are assessed as posing a high risk of serious harm to children.
“Your conduct is aggravated by your previous conviction and your failure to respond to previous warnings. We will never know how far your conduct would have gone, but for the involvement of the vigilante group who confronted you.”
Alan Thomley was seen shaking in the dock as he was sentenced, then put his head in his hands as he was told he would be imprisoned and appeared to be on the verge of tears. Once taken down to the cells, the sex offender could be heard loudly crying and wailing.
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