Internet pervert jailed

A paedophile believed to be the world's most prolific Internet groomer was sentenced to five years in prison.

Douglas Lindsell, 64, of Fortescue Avenue, Twickenham, south west London, was found with a hand-written sexual profile of 54 youngsters from the UK and 19 from abroad.

The former postal worker bombarded some of the girls, aged as young as 13, with up to 100 phone calls after befriending them on the Internet.

Judge Richard McGregor-Johnson told Lindsell, who was dressed in a green polo shirt and dark trousers: "What it was that changed your behaviour in 2002 I do not know and whilst it's true the Internet makes it considerably easier for somebody like yourself to commit these type of crimes, you could not properly lay the blame for it on the Internet.

"Your actions stem from your own decisions and your own desires."

He added: "Whatever unlocked that hitherto hidden side of your character was not the Internet."

The judge said: "Your obsession with young girls is a sexual obsession linked to an obsession about rape. I do not accept your actions were actions of dirty talking."

Judge McGregor-Johnson told Lindsell that he was in no doubt that attempting to meet one of the girls was to "put your sexual fantasises in practice".

He sentenced the defendant to three years for attempted abduction of a girl aged under 14, two years for two counts of stalking under the Harassment Act, and three months for possession of indecent photos of children, all sentences to run concurrently.

For attempting to pervert the course of justice, Lindsell was given six months, to run consecutively with the previous sentences. He was also sentenced to 18 months for incitement to gross indecency with a girl under 16, also to run consecutively.

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