Paul Anthony Middleton

A 54-year-old man from Stamford has been sentenced to six years in prison for a series of sexual offences targeting young girls online. Paul Anthony Middleton, a tree surgeon by profession, was arrested in May 2015 following an investigation prompted by a vigilante group. The group, which included an undercover journalist posing as a 13-year-old girl, exposed Middleton's predatory behaviour after he engaged in explicit conversations, requested indecent images, and attempted to arrange a meeting for sexual purposes.

During police interviews, Middleton confessed to communicating with multiple underage girls in a similar manner. He admitted to sending indecent videos and images of himself, soliciting explicit material from the girls, encouraging them to produce and send videos, and trying to organise real-life sexual encounters. Additionally, authorities discovered indecent images of children on his mobile phones, which he had also distributed to other users via a social networking site.

Middleton pleaded guilty to 13 offences at Lincoln Crown Court, including attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, inciting a child aged 13 to engage in sexual activity, making indecent images of children, and distributing such images. The sentencing took place on 30 November 2015, with Judge [name not specified in article] imposing a six-year custodial term, followed by four years on licence.

• Key admissions: Middleton acknowledged targeting several underage girls online.
• Evidence: Explicit messages, self-produced indecent content, and child abuse images recovered from devices.
• Police involvement: Lincolnshire Police's Internet Child Abuse Team (iCAT) led the investigation after the vigilante tip-off.

DC Nicky Linn of iCAT commented on the case: "I’m pleased with the lengthy sentence given to Middleton. He is a dangerous and predatory paedophile who, amazingly, has shown no remorse for what he has done." Linn also praised the vigilante group's role in highlighting the offender, despite general cautions against such actions due to safety and investigative risks. She commended the victims' bravery, noting the sentencing as a step towards their recovery from the distressing experiences.

The case underscores the dangers of online grooming and the importance of robust police responses to child sexual exploitation. Middleton's actions spanned interactions with real victims as well as the decoy profile, revealing a pattern of predatory behaviour. Source: Lincs Online, published 1 December 2015.