MICHAEL WATTON DARTMOUTH PAEDOPHILE HUNTER STING EXPOSES BRITANNIA ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE SEX OFFENDER

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Dartmouth and the surrounding areas, Michael Watton, a 56-year-old former steward at the prestigious Britannia Royal Naval College, was sentenced to prison after being caught in a sting operation conducted by vigilant paedophile hunters. The incident, which took place in October of the previous year, revealed the disturbing extent of his online predatory behavior and his attempts to engage with what he believed were underage girls.

Watton, who resides on Church Road in Dartmouth, was lured into a trap at Paignton Railway Station by members of a dedicated online child protection group. These groups, including Internet Interceptors and UK Database, work covertly to identify and apprehend adults attempting to groom minors for sexual purposes. In this case, Watton believed he was meeting a 14-year-old girl named Ellie May, with whom he had exchanged explicit messages online. Instead of encountering a young girl, he was confronted by members of the group who had been recording the encounter, which lasted approximately 45 minutes.

During the confrontation, Watton was detained until police arrived to arrest him. The operation was filmed, and the footage was later used as evidence in court. The charges against him included attempting to meet a child for sex following online grooming, as well as attempted sexual communication with a minor. Watton admitted to these charges and also asked for seven additional offences to be taken into account, relating to similar online interactions with other fictitious profiles.

At Exeter Crown Court, Judge Erik Salomonsen sentenced Watton to 16 months in prison, emphasizing the seriousness of his actions. The judge pointed out that the number of fake profiles Watton engaged with—specifically, ten different decoys—warranted a custodial sentence. The court heard that Watton had initiated conversations with decoys named 'Katy,' 'Jess,' and 'Ellie-May,' all of whom were set up by the online groups to test his intentions.

Prosecutor Julia Cox detailed how Watton, using a dating site called Qeep, quickly moved the conversation towards sexual topics. He asked 'Katy' if she was single and how old she was, eventually expressing a desire to have sex with her and even get her pregnant. He also discussed plans to meet in Newcastle, which he ultimately did not follow through with. The decoy 'Jess,' aged 10, was also part of the operation, with Watton asking her about her sexual experiences. The decoy 'Ellie-May,' aged 14, was set up by Internet Interceptors, and Watton arranged to meet her at Paignton Railway Station on October 21.

When confronted, Watton did not deny his intentions. He admitted he was there to meet a 14-year-old girl, planning to take her to the cinema, buy her Chinese food, and then use a bed and breakfast for sex. Witnesses described him as a bearded man in his 50s, with his profile picture clearly showing his age. Court reports noted that, in the real world, no young child would have engaged with him, given his appearance and demeanor. However, Watton expressed surprise that there were young girls willing to engage with him online, revealing his loneliness and living situation with his mother.

Judge Salomonsen acknowledged the point made by the defense but emphasized that the sheer number of girls Watton attempted to contact—ten in total—made his actions particularly grave. The court considered his guilty plea and the fact that he had been caught in multiple online chats. As a result, the judge ordered that Watton serve his sentence in custody. Additionally, he was subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to restrict his future conduct.

Earlier, in December 2017, Watton had already pleaded guilty to grooming and attempting to meet a minor for sex after being caught by an online child protection team. In that incident, he believed he was communicating with three girls aged between 10 and 14 but was actually talking to adults from the Internet Interceptors group based in Devon. He had arranged to meet 'Ellie May' at Paignton railway station, but instead was detained by the group members who filmed the operation. The footage was used as evidence in court, leading to his guilty plea for attempting to meet a child for sexual purposes.

Watton's employment at the Britannia Royal Naval College, a renowned institution attended by notable figures such as the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, and Prince Andrew, has now been overshadowed by these serious allegations. The case highlights the ongoing efforts of online child protection groups to combat grooming and protect minors from predators. The community awaits further developments as justice takes its course in this troubling case.