Offender swam away after crimes caught up with him

A DESPERATE child sex offender swam across a river estuary to avoid being caught.

- JASON EVANS Court and crime reporter

Guy Brigdale had believed he was meeting a 14-year-old for oral sex but he had in reality been chatting with an online “decoy.”

A judge at Swansea Crown Court said she had no doubt that Brigdale should be considered a dangerous offender and that a standard sentence was not sufficient to manage the risk he poses. The defendant was made the subject of a 12-year extended sentence.

Regan Walters, prosecuting, told the court that in the early hours of January 16 this year the defendant made contact with the profile of what appeared to be a 14-year-old girl on social media. He said in reality the profile was a so-called “decoy” account being run by adults.

The court heard Brigdale claimed to be aged 18 and he asked the profile for pictures before suggesting they move their conversation onto Whats App.

The prosecutor said that the defendant's messages quickly became sexual, with the 34-year-old instructing what he thought was the school-girl to perform sex acts on herself and send him the pictures, asking her about her underwear and requesting pictures she taken in the bath.

The defendant also sent the girl videos of himself masturbating. In total the communications ran to some 181 pages of messages.