NEIL DAVIES CAUGHT IN CROSBY TRYING TO MEET UNDERAGE GIRL IN WINWICK B&Q CAR PARK

In a disturbing incident that unfolded in Crosby, Neil Davies, a 47-year-old man from Allenby Avenue, was caught in a sting operation orchestrated by online paedophile hunters. The group, known as The Soloceptors, working alongside Saving Our Kid’s Souls and Net Justice, set up fake profiles posing as teenage girls to lure potential offenders.

Davies, who believed he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl, engaged in explicit conversations and sent images of his genitals despite being repeatedly warned that he was speaking to minors. He also described himself as wearing a child's skirt during these exchanges. The group’s footage shows Davies becoming visibly distressed and fainting when confronted in person at the car park of B&Q on Delph Lane in Winwick, where he had been led to believe he was meeting a teenage girl.

During the confrontation, Davies admitted to the group that he had been contacting children online. In a moment of shock, he confided, “I just don’t get any attention at home from the Mrs.” His legs buckled as he was offered a seat, and he had to be assisted by members of the group. He then issued a remorseful apology, stating, “I apologise profusely, I will never do this again.”

Following the incident on April 11, Davies was arrested at the scene after the group handed over evidence of his conversations to the police. During police interviews, he further revealed that he had paid a 15-year-old girl to perform a sex act, although it was later established that the girl was actually 17.

The charges against Davies include two counts of attempting to cause a child to look at sexual images, two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and one count of paying for sexual services from a minor under 18.

Prosecutor Frank Dillon, speaking at Liverpool Crown Court, explained that Davies had used the username ‘Tick Tock’ on Kik Messenger to contact profiles created by The Soloceptors. Dillon detailed that Davies engaged in sexual conversations with the profile, which claimed to be a 13-year-old girl. Despite the warnings, Davies sent explicit images of his genitals and stated he was wearing a girl’s skirt, justifying his actions by saying, “I’m feeling horny.” The girl responded, “You wouldn’t fit into mine, I’m only 13.”

Defense lawyer Jeremy Rawson acknowledged that Davies had lost his job due to the conviction but was receiving support from his wife.

Judge Andrew Menary, QC, presiding over the case, commended the efforts of The Soloceptors, noting that while some paedophile hunters may act irresponsibly, this particular group had conducted themselves properly and responsibly.

In sentencing, the judge highlighted that Davies’s immediate confession, absence of prior convictions, and lack of attempts to meet the minors meant he was not sent to prison immediately. Instead, he received a three-year community order, including 200 hours of unpaid work and participation in the Horizon sex offenders program.

The judge also imposed a sexual harm prevention order, restricting Davies’s internet access and contact with children, and ordered him to register as a sex offender for five years. He concluded by stating that Davies had strayed onto a dark path online and hoped the sentence would aid his rehabilitation and protect the public in the future.