Isle of Wight paedophile snared by hunters in live sting


The moment a twisted pervert from the Isle of Wight smirked, as a team of paedophile hunters challenged him about his behaviour with what he thought was an 11-year-old girl, was broadcast live on Facebook.
The footage shows how the paedophile hunters became increasingly agitated as the man, confronted in sting operation on the Island, fired back sarcastic comments when they questioned him over sexual communications with a child.
The man later claimed that he had wanted to be caught.
In video footage shown at Winchester Crown Court, one of the group calls him a “nonce”, while the others jeer at him for being a “little rat”.
At the end of the film, a police officer arrives to arrest him.
Phillip Brookes, of Clarence Road, East Cowes, has been convicted of child sex offences and will be sentenced in August.
He was already a serial sex offender, having once uploaded a video of himself abusing a 12-year-old girl to the internet for money, a court heard.
In that instance, he was jailed for a year.
Soon after his release, Brookes had started to send sickening messages to a ‘girl’ who told him she was 11 years old. Brookes told the child to perform sexual acts, among a series of depraved topics.
The court heard how one of the female paedophile hunters had whispered to make her voice sound like that of a little girl and sent a recording to Brookes.
The 41-year-old had arranged to meet the child in East Cowes, but instead found himself confronted outside a supermarket by several adults from the Northwest Hebephile Hunters, who had travelled overnight from the north of England to catch him out.
Video footage, which was live-streamed to Facebook, receiving over 200,000 views in just 24 hours.
It showed Brookes smirking, as the paedophile hunters read out records of his lewd chats and demanded that he explain his actions.
At one point, Brookes smacked the recording mobile phone out of the hands of one of the paedophile hunters and is then seen being pinned against a wall.
He claimed in the footage that he had been punched in the ribs.
Hampshire Police had received copies of the chat logs from the paedophile hunters, which was used as the basis of the case against Brookes.
In the video footage of the meeting, which was disclosed to the court by journalist Charlie Moloney, the paedophile hunters could be heard telling Brookes they would use reasonable force to restrain him if he tried to escape.
After being arrested by Hampshire Constabulary, Brookes claimed he had known he was speaking to adult paedophile hunters all along.
He told a jury at Winchester Crown Court: “I already knew it was an adult from the start because of the way they were writing the texts. Kids would not know all those long words they were using. They even sent me a voice message that sounded like a six-year-old. I just wanted to wind them up.
“I just wanted the paedophile hunters to come find and hurt me.
“I know that they are trying to do a good job for those other kids and I am like scum to them. It was not about the fact of getting beaten up, I wanted to be getting caught by them.
“I have been to prison. I do not think I have been properly reprimanded. The punishment I received was nothing.”
The defendant, who denied the charges against him, argued he had wanted to be murdered by the paedophile hunters because he was depressed and struggling to care for an elderly friend.
Brookes’ home address had been shared online and an unknown vandal had written the word “nonce” on his property, the jury was told.
Brookes said: “I did not want to kill myself because I did not want the person I was caring for to come and find me. I was just afraid it would alter his life in some way and he was the only friend I had.”
During a two-day trial at Winchester Crown Court, Brookes was cross-examined by prosecuting lawyer Gemma White, who asked him about his eight previous offences against children since 2012 and the fact that he had been made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Ms White asked Brookes about his claim he was not sexually attracted to children, quoting parts of his police interview where he appeared to admit looking at indecent images.
When asked if he was lying, Brookes had said: “It is not a lie, just a bending of the truth.”
After just one hour of deliberation, Brookes was convicted by the jury of four counts of attempting to cause a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of attempted communication with a child.
Judge Susan Evans QC told the defendant he would be sentenced on August 20. He was remanded in custody.
October 2015
Man who admitted being part of sex ring sentenced to three year community order
Phillip Brookes, 36 of Clarence road, East Cowes, who admitted he was part of a paedophile sex ring and hid evidence from police, has been sentenced to a three-year community order.
According to a report, back in November 2013 the man was convicted for sexual assault on a girl under the age of 13 and possessing, making and distributing indecent images of children and jailed for two years.
At the Isle of Wight Crown Court on Monday, it was revealed that at the time of original arrest he had hidden a hard drive from police.
The discovery was made in December 2013 when – whilst drunk and abusive – he’d told police and paramedics that he was part of a paedophile ring.
A thorough search of his home resulted in the hard drive, which he confessed contained images of children on it, being found in a secret drawer.
As well as the three year community order, the Crown Court recorder said Brookes must attend a sex offender course.
He was placed under supervision for three years and ordered to pay a fine of £60 to the victim fund.