JAMES CLARK FROM MICKLEOVER EXPOSED AS SERIAL PAEDOPHILE IN DERBY

In August 2020, James Clark, a former British Army corporal residing in Mickleover, Derby, was revealed to be a persistent sex offender with a long history of criminal behavior dating back to 1973. Clark, aged 78 at the time, was involved in a disturbing case where he attempted to groom a teenager, believing the boy to be only 14 years old. The incident unfolded when a group of self-styled paedophile hunters arrived at Clark's then-address in High Street, Alfreton, after setting up a decoy profile named 'Carl' to lure potential offenders.

Clark had been engaging in highly sexualized messaging with what he thought was a teenage boy. He even provided his home address to the decoy, suggesting they should meet in person. His messages included instructions for the boy to keep their communications secret, indicating an intent to pursue a sexual encounter. The group confronted Clark at his residence, questioning him about the messages before calling the police to intervene.

Following his arrest, Clark was taken into custody and subsequently released under investigation by Derbyshire police. Despite this, he continued to breach the terms of his sexual harm prevention order by secretly possessing devices capable of accessing the internet. Over the years, Clark's criminal record has grown significantly, with 18 convictions encompassing 44 separate offenses. These include serious sexual offenses such as indecent assault on children, indecent exposure, and possession of indecent images of children. Eight of his convictions are directly related to sexual misconduct.

During his latest court appearance at Derby Crown Court, Clark pleaded guilty to attempting to engage with a person under 18 and to three violations of his sexual harm prevention order. The prosecution, led by Lucky Thandi, highlighted Clark's extensive criminal history, noting that he had previously been jailed for possession of indecent images in 2008 and again in 2013, when he was found with an additional 2,500 images. An updated sexual harm prevention order was issued following these convictions.

The court heard that the grooming attempt took place on May 6, when the paedophile hunter group visited Clark's residence in Alfreton. Clark had been actively sending sexualized messages to the decoy profile 'Carl' and even shared his address, urging the boy not to tell anyone about their communications. When confronted by the group, Clark initially refused to answer questions and remained silent during police interrogation.

Despite his arrest, Clark continued to violate the conditions of his order. On three separate occasions between his arrest and June of the same year, he was caught with mobile phones or tablets that he had failed to declare to authorities. One such incident occurred while he was living in Railway Terrace, Derby, where a support worker observed him attempting to hide a box containing a phone under an armchair.

Judge Martin Butterworth sentenced Clark to 32 months in prison, emphasizing the severity of his actions. He stated, “The most serious offence is seeking to be in the company of a 14-year-old boy who you were grooming. You tried to arrange a meeting with what you thought was a naive 14-year-old with the intention of him having sexual contact with you. The fact is that you are now an old man who, when you are at liberty, find yourself isolated. Your family has disowned you, and over the years, you have found yourself friendless. But you are a 78-year-old man with a long record of sex offending and breaching orders.”