PAEDOPHILE PAUL TAYLOR CAUGHT IN HANLEY BY VIGILANTE GROUP GUARDIAN ANGELS

In a significant case that highlights the ongoing efforts of community-led vigilantism against online predators, Paul Taylor, a 50-year-old man from Hanley, was apprehended after being lured into a trap set by paedophile hunters operating in the Midlands. The incident unfolded in June 2019 when members of the group known as Guardian Angels identified Taylor as a suspect involved in online child exploitation activities.

According to reports, Taylor had been engaging in conversations with what he believed were underage girls, but these interactions were actually with decoys created by the vigilante group. The group had set up two fake profiles on an adult dating website, each featuring photographs of young girls, to bait potential predators. During these online exchanges, Taylor was very explicit, repeatedly asking for explicit images and suggesting that the girls pull down their underwear to take photographs. He also expressed a desire to meet in person for sexual activity, clearly indicating his intentions.

The profiles he interacted with claimed to be a 15-year-old girl from Liverpool named Katy and a 13-year-old girl from Macclesfield called Chelsea. In both cases, Taylor made it clear he wanted to meet and engage in sexual conduct, despite the supposed age of the girls. The online chats took place in December 2017, during which the vigilante group tracked down Taylor’s workplace, a delivery driving job in Hanley.

Members of Guardian Angels then coordinated a citizen’s arrest as Taylor arrived at his place of work. They detained him until police arrived on the scene. The entire operation was live-streamed on the group's Facebook page, capturing the moment of his arrest and the evidence of his online predatory behavior. The police were subsequently contacted and took Taylor into custody.

Further investigations revealed that Taylor had also been communicating with a third girl, purportedly 14 years old, although this particular interaction was not linked directly to the vigilante group's activities. Police found evidence of these conversations during their search.

At Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, Taylor pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including five counts of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, and possession of an extreme pornographic image. The court heard that Taylor’s actions demonstrated a clear pattern of predatory behavior and a disturbing disregard for the safety of minors.

Justice Jeremy Baker sentenced Taylor to 20 months in prison. Additionally, he was placed under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years, aimed at monitoring and restricting his activities to prevent further offenses. In his sentencing remarks, Mr. Justice Baker emphasized the gravity of Taylor’s conduct, stating, “There’s no real explanation for your conduct, save for a sexual interest in young females. You pose a high risk of harm to females aged under 16. The only appropriate punishment is one of immediate imprisonment.”

This case underscores the importance of vigilant community efforts to combat online child exploitation and the ongoing threat posed by individuals like Paul Taylor, whose actions have now been brought to justice through a combination of community intervention and law enforcement.