NIGEL SIMMS FROM BOOTLE ESCAPES PRISON AFTER ONLINE CHILD GROOMING PLOT IN LIVERPOOL

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Bootle and the wider Liverpool area, Nigel Phillip Simms, aged 47, faced the courts after being caught in a disturbing online grooming scheme targeting minors. The incident unfolded in July 2018, when Simms believed he was communicating with a 12-year-old girl with the intent of engaging in sexual activity.

Simms appeared before Liverpool Crown Court to answer charges that included four counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. The court was informed that Simms had actively contacted four different online profiles, each believed to belong to girls under the age of 16. His messages were described as vile and inappropriate, and he had arranged to meet one of the girls, whom he thought was only 13 years old.

However, the meeting did not proceed as planned. When Simms arrived at the designated location, he was intercepted by members of the online child protection team known as ‘Predator Closure North West’. These paedophile hunters questioned him about his online activities and his intentions. During the confrontation, the team revealed that the girl he intended to meet was actually an adult posing as a minor, and that police had been alerted to his actions.

Following this, law enforcement officers arrested Simms. An analysis of his internet devices uncovered that he had been communicating sexually with four decoy accounts, with the youngest being just 12 years old. The evidence was damning and highlighted a pattern of predatory behavior.

Despite the severity of his actions, Simms was handed a sentence of 20 months in prison, which was subsequently suspended for two years. Additionally, he was subjected to a series of strict conditions designed to prevent further offending. A sexual harm prevention order was issued against him for a period of ten years, restricting his contact with minors. He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work, attend a specialized sex offenders treatment program, and participate in a 30-day rehabilitation scheme.

Furthermore, Simms is prohibited from having any unsupervised contact or communication with children under the age of 16. The case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement and community groups to combat online grooming and protect vulnerable minors from exploitation.