A 60-year-old Dudley man has been given a suspended prison sentence after being caught by a so-called 'paedophile hunter' group who staged a confrontation at his home.
The Sting Operation
Stephen Briscoe was confronted at his property on Adshead Road, Dudley, in January 2024 by members of Broken Dreams, an online vigilante team that targets suspected child predators. The group had gathered evidence against Briscoe and presented it to him during the encounter.
The entire 50-minute confrontation was live-streamed on Facebook and continued until officers from West Midlands Police arrived at the scene. Footage from the sting showed the 60-year-old being presented with the evidence collected by the team.
Charges and Court Proceedings
In March 2024, West Midlands Police charged Briscoe with several offences. These included causing or inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual communication with a child, and causing a child aged 13 to 15 to watch an image of sexual activity.
However, at the first hearing at Dudley Magistrates' Court on November 11, 2024, some of these charges were withdrawn. The court ultimately sentenced Briscoe for a single offence: attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child between December 16, 2023 and January 20, 2024.
The Sentence and Conditions
Court documents stated that Briscoe's attempt was "for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification" and that he "did not reasonably believe" the person he was communicating with was 16 or over. His communication was intended to encourage sexual discussion, including sending adult pornography and requesting indecent images of a child.
At a hearing earlier this week, Briscoe was jailed for 10 months, suspended for two years. He must also complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
In addition to the suspended sentence, the defendant was ordered to register with the police for 10 years and was made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). This order imposes strict conditions to prevent further offending.
