ANDREW DELAFIELD'S SHOCKING ONLINE PREDATION IN DEVON AND TORBAY

In November 2008, a disturbing case emerged involving Andrew Delafield, a former physical education teacher from Newton Abbot, South Devon, who engaged in predatory online behavior targeting underage girls. The incident came to light after one of his victims, a 15-year-old girl, managed to trick him into revealing his identity, leading to his subsequent arrest and conviction.

Delafield, aged 28 at the time, had established a disturbing online presence under the alias 'Lanky Monkey.' He had been actively seeking to exploit young girls through social networking sites, specifically Bebo, where he attempted to lure minors into sexual activities. His interactions with the girls, whom he knew from his previous role as a gymnastics coach at a secondary school in Torbay, revealed a pattern of manipulative and predatory behavior.

According to court reports, Delafield initially contacted a 15-year-old girl on Bebo and offered her a sum of £200 in exchange for sex. His messages were explicit and aimed at enticing her into sexual acts, despite his position as a former teacher and coach. In addition to this, he created a false persona, pretending to be a teenage lesbian on the same platform in an effort to attract another 15-year-old girl. His goal was to persuade her to send nude photographs of herself.

Delafield's online communications included disturbing messages such as, 'I am naked at the moment. I’m just looking for fun, I’m not stalking you.' These messages demonstrated a blatant disregard for boundaries and the safety of the minors he targeted. The situation escalated when one of the girls, appalled by his behavior, handed her laptop to a male schoolfriend. This friend then engaged with Delafield online, leading him to send a photograph of his face. The schoolfriend responded with a message condemning his actions, stating, 'You’re busted. What you are doing is wrong and disgusting.'

Following this exchange, police investigations uncovered a significant amount of illegal material on Delafield's computer. The seized devices contained numerous images of child pornography, including explicit content involving bondage and bestiality, which further highlighted the severity of his offenses.

Delafield was charged with multiple counts, including two offences of attempting to produce indecent images of the girls he contacted via Bebo. He also faced 11 counts of making indecent images, which he had downloaded from the internet. His actions prompted a swift legal response, culminating in his sentencing at Exeter Crown Court, where he received a custodial sentence of 21 months. Additionally, he was permanently banned from working with children.

The presiding judge emphasized the gravity of Delafield's crimes, stating, 'I would be failing in my public duty if there was not an immediate custodial sentence.' The court proceedings revealed that Delafield had previously worked as a PE teacher and gymnastics coach in Torbay before leaving his job to start a business selling training software. Despite his career change, he actively sought out his former pupils on social media, demonstrating a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior.

During the investigation, Delafield admitted to the charges, acknowledging his reckless and foolish conduct. His defense argued that his actions were driven by 'recklessness and stupidity,' and claimed that he was acting out of 'loneliness, boredom, and drink.' However, the court found his behavior to be profoundly unacceptable, leading to his imprisonment and lifelong ban from working with children, reflecting the serious nature of his offenses and the need to protect vulnerable minors from further harm.