Paedophiles jailed - via journo
2006-05-24 16:19
London - A British judge praised a reporter, who noticed train graffiti that offered to pay young girls for sex, with helping to catch a group of paedophiles.
Judge Anthony Niblett handed four men jail sentences on Tuesday that ranged from eight years' to life.
Ruth Lumley said that she noticed a scrawled note, which read "young girls wanted for sex" and a telephone number, on her way home from work.
She said she called the number, and in return was sent a text message from a mobile phone asking her age and sex.
Lumley said she told them she was an 11-year-old girl, and got an explicit response.
'They're really disgusting'
Lumley said: "After I sent back the reply, I got sent about five or six text messages, which got more and more sexually explicit.
"They were really disgusting. It was at that point that I knew I had to phone the police."
Inspector Jeff Lister said police took her telephone for analysis as a 10-month long investigation began.
He said that eight victims were found. Earlier this month, four men pleaded guilty to a range of sex offences at Hove crown court, about 80km south of London.
The judge called the men "evil" and "wicked," and said they posed a continued danger to young children, especially girls.
He praised Lumley - who later worked for the Chichester Observer - for her "clear-sightedness", as he awarded her a £250 (about R3 100) reward.
- AP