Vigilante Pedophile Hunter Confronts Man Who Thought He Was Meeting a 14-Year-Old for Sex

Vigilante “pedophile hunter” Danny Catcher confronts a man who allegedly believed he was meeting a 14-year-old girl for sex. Edmund Phipps, 50, allegedly sent Catcher, who was posing as a “schoolgirl,” a series of sexually explicit messages before arranging the meet, the Mirror reported. The former Royal Mail director used a fake name and knocked five years off his age in WhatsApp messages, claiming he was 45 and sending topless pictures. But when Phipps arrived to meet the teen, he was confronted by pedophile hunter Danny Catcher who carried out a citizen’s arrest. The messages he sent the “girl” included images of him shirtless, and after being told the decoy was 14 years old, Phipps wrote “am 45 young looking tho and very fit and muscular.” After arranging to meet in Bath, Somerset, on July 4 2017, Phipps was charged with a child sex offense. He admitted to one charge, of attempting to cause or incite a girl aged 13 to 15 into sexual activity with an offender aged 18 or over. In video footage, Phipps denies trying to meet the girl for sex and says: “I have not done anything of the sort. “I want to see the police, this is absurd.” He is then shown a photograph of himself that he sent via WhatsApp. Phipps was reportedly sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for 18 months, and given 60 days rehabilitation at Bristol Crown Court. He will spend seven years on the sex offenders' register. Danny Catcher said “I do this because I want to protect children from pedophiles like Phipps, people who prey on vulnerable young people. “He came to Bath in summer 2017 with the intention of having sex with a child. This is not acceptable behavior and he deserves the punishment handed out today. “If he can meet a decoy child for sexual activity, he could meet a real child. He is a danger to children and I am pleased to hear that he's pleaded guilty to the offenses. I sincerely hope that this is a wake-up call and that he never goes online to groom or meet a child in the future.” A Royal Mail spokesman said “We can confirm that Mr. Phipps is a former employee. He was off duties from the time he was arrested.”