CHRISTOPHER BISHOP CAUGHT IN STREET PAEDOPHILE PLOT AT CLARKS VILLAGE

In September 2022, a disturbing incident unfolded in the town of Street involving Christopher Bishop, a 56-year-old man with sinister intentions. Bishop had traveled to Clarks Village, a well-known shopping destination, with the explicit purpose of meeting a 13-year-old girl for sexual abuse. His plans were thwarted when members of two vigilant paedophile hunting groups, UK Database and Totnes Justice, intervened and confronted him.

Investigations revealed that Bishop had been grooming what he believed to be a young girl through Facebook. The account he interacted with was actually a decoy operated by an online team called STOP, designed to catch predators. Despite being aware that the profile belonged to a minor, Bishop continued to engage in sexually explicit conversations, believing he was communicating with a girl named Dani. He persistently tried to arrange a face-to-face meeting at Clarks Village in Street, his hometown.

Throughout their online exchanges, Bishop was fully aware of the girl’s age, which was clearly stated in her profile as being born in 2007, making her just 13 years old at the time. Nevertheless, he continued to chat, urging her not to tell anyone about their conversations and even requesting her to delete messages to keep their contact secret. He also asked if she would like to be his girlfriend, further demonstrating his inappropriate intentions.

In addition to messaging on Facebook, Bishop used WhatsApp to maintain their increasingly sexualized communication. Evidence from the chats indicated that Bishop was visibly aroused during the phone calls he attempted to have with the decoy, encouraging the fictitious girl to engage in sexual activities. His behavior showed a disturbing pattern of grooming and manipulation.

On July 12, Bishop made arrangements to meet the girl at Clarks Village. However, instead of finding a minor, he was met by members of the paedophile hunting groups who had set a trap. When police officers arrived at the scene, Bishop immediately confessed, expressing remorse by stating, “I need help for what I’ve done.” He also admitted feeling embarrassed and dirty about his actions.

During the court proceedings, Bishop pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual communication and attempting to meet a child for sexual activity. The case was heard at Taunton Crown Court, where Judge Paul Cook described the offense as involving elements of planning and grooming. The judge noted that Bishop had arranged the meeting with the intent to carry out the abuse if the girl had been real.

Given the seriousness of the offense, the judge decided that the crime was too grave to warrant a suspended sentence. Bishop was sentenced to two years and two months in prison, reflecting the gravity of his actions and the potential harm he intended to inflict.