AARON SOPER FROM DARTMOUTH CAUGHT IN SCOTLAND-BASED PAEDOPHILE HUNTING OPERATION IN DARTMOUTH

In November 2018, a man from Dartmouth, identified as Aaron Soper, became the subject of a sting operation conducted by vigilant online groups aiming to catch individuals attempting to engage in inappropriate communications with minors. Soper, aged 29 and residing on Duke Street in Dartmouth, was targeted after he engaged in sexualized online conversations with what he believed to be underage girls and boys.

Members of two separate groups, 'Justice for the Innocent' based in Torquay and 'UK Database' based in Exeter, collaborated with a third organization called 'The Wolfpack Hunters' from Scotland. The Wolfpack Hunters had created decoy profiles of minors, including two girls and three boys, to lure potential offenders. These decoys were used to monitor and record conversations with individuals like Soper, who continued to send explicit messages despite the decoys repeatedly stating they were only 14 or 15 years old.

Once the chat logs were obtained, the Scottish group shared the evidence with the Devon-based teams. The combined efforts culminated in a confrontation with Soper in Dartmouth as he was on his way to work. The teams approached him and questioned him about his online activities, specifically his attempts to communicate sexually with minors.

Following the confrontation, the teams contacted local police authorities. Officers arrived promptly and arrested Soper on charges related to grooming and attempting to engage in sexual communication with minors. During the incident, a family member and a friend of Soper, who had watched the live sting unfold on Facebook, arrived at the scene and began to harass the members of the online hunting groups.

Soper was subsequently charged and appeared in court, where he admitted to four counts of attempted sexual communication with a child and one count of attempting to incite a child to watch sexual activity. The court proceedings resulted in Soper receiving a three-year community order. As part of his sentence, he was also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and was placed under a five-year sexual harm prevention order. Additionally, Soper is required to register as a sex offender for five years, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities.