Paul Jones

A lonely farmer from Roche in Cornwall was exposed in a sting operation by online paedophile hunters after initiating sexualised contact with what he believed to be a 14-year-old girl on social media.

Between February and March 2022, Paul Jones, then aged 70, contacted a fake profile named 'Emma', set up by vigilantes. Over two weeks, Jones pursued conversations of a sexual nature, requesting that 'Emma' masturbate and send him photos. On one occasion, he sent images of women engaging in sexual acts as encouragement for her to reciprocate.

• The interactions were entirely online and involved explicit requests and sharing of material.
• Jones was unaware that 'Emma' was a decoy account operated by a group dedicated to catching potential child sex offenders.

Unbeknownst to Jones, the vigilantes traced his location and, after two weeks, arrived at his home near Zelah, between Truro and Newquay. They confronted and detained him before alerting Devon and Cornwall Police. Jones was arrested on the spot and later charged with attempting to cause or incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, as well as possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals. He pleaded guilty to the primary charge, while the second remained on file.

At a sentencing hearing on 12 December 2025 at Truro Crown Court, Judge Simon Carr described the offence as serious, noting that Jones had believed he was communicating with a real child and had descended into 'the darkest of rabbit holes on the internet' following personal isolation after retiring from farming. In mitigation, defence barrister Jason Beal argued that the offending was short-lived, not a pattern, and stemmed from Jones's loneliness and social isolation, compounded by financial difficulties. Beal emphasised Jones's shame, ostracism from his community, and low risk of reoffending, highlighting his recent employment on another farm as a source of stability.

His Honour Judge Simon Carr acknowledged Jones's previous impeccable character and lack of minimisation of his actions. He imposed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, along with 12 sessions of mental health treatment. Jones was placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and subjected to a five-year sexual harm prevention order restricting his internet use. The judge considered the impact on Jones's innocent lodger but prioritised rehabilitation prospects.

This case, reported by Cornwall Live and covered at Truro Crown Court, underscores the role of online vigilante groups in apprehending suspects, though police have cautioned against such interventions to avoid compromising investigations. Devon and Cornwall Police handled the arrest and prosecution.