A Barbon Paedophile, Mathew Shuttleworth, who attempted to meet a 12-year-old girl for sex called the police when paedophile hunters turned up at his house.
Mathew Shuttleworth, 38, was caught in a sting after arranging to meet the girl at Booths supermarket October 2022.
But as Mathew Shuttleworth made his way to the meeting place, members of the online child protection group turned up at his home in Carnforth and Shuttleworth received a flurry of calls from his wife.
The married dad-of-two was later arrested on suspicion of attempted sexual communication with three children and attempting to meet one of them after grooming.
Sitting in the dock at Preston Crown Court, Mathew Shuttleworth, of Barbon, Carnforth, stared at the ground as Judge Ian Unsworth KC set out the facts of the case.
For three weeks, the farm worker had believed he was speaking to ‘Liana’, 14, Abi, 12, and Niamh, 14.
Mathew Shuttleworth paid the girls compliments telling them they were ‘gorgeous’ and saying he would kiss and cuddle them. He told ‘Abi’ that she could have sex with anyone but he would get in trouble.
Judge Unsworth KC said: “You were right.”
However he said: “When you were confronted by members of one of the groups it coincided with a number of calls from your wife who complained there were people ascending around your house.
“The unusual feature is that you reported the matter to the police.”
The judge said there had been a significant delay in bringing the case to justice, during which time Mathew Shuttleworth has been unable to live with his family. He accepted the defendant’s remorse but said it was ‘a very serious case of its type.’
He sentenced Mathew Shuttleworth to 18 months in prison, telling him he would serve half in custody and the remainder on licence.
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