Child sex offender jumped in river to avoid being caught

A CHILD sex offender swam across a river estuary to avoid being caught. Guy Brigdale had believed he he was meeting a 14-year-old for oral sex but he had in reality been chatting with an online “decoy”.

- JASON EVANS

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