Paedophile at centre of online sting that almost caused riot is jailed
A 39-year-old man has been jailed for three years after an “ugly” uproar was sparked when his arrest following a “pedophile sting” was livestreamed on Facebook.
Lee Comley, of Leigh Park in Havant, was arrested on July 1 after a group calling itself the Online Child Safety Team livestreamed their confrontation with him before police arrived.
Although no one was injured, officers with riot shields had to be deployed after a crowd of around 100 people formed and began chanting slogans and throwing objects, including at police.
Hampshire Constabulary then issued a temporary dispersal order to enable officers to use extra authority to disperse the gathering.
Judge Michael Bowes KC jailed Comley at Portsmouth Crown Court, where he previously pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to incite a 14-year-old boy to engage in sexual activity.
He also made himself subject to a sexual harm prevention order and said Comley had shown a “lack of insight” into the seriousness of his offending.
He told Judge Comley: “I am satisfied that it is both necessary and proportionate for this to be an ambiguous decision.”
Prosecutor Simon Foster told the court: “The matter was published online and this led to an extremely ugly incident.”
He said Comley first contacted a 14-year-old named Maya on Facebook, whose profile did not exist but was used as a sarcasm profile by the vigilante group, before moving to WhatsApp.
The defendant started by asking for photos of the girl in a bikini, then demanded photos and videos of the girl naked and engaging in sexual acts.
Emma Easterbrook, defending, said Comley was kept in custody following a previous hearing because she was concerned about his health due to a previous illness.
He said: “He lost his home and his job and was sentenced to penalties beyond what we could expect from these courts for such behaviour.”
Chief Inspector Alex Charge, of Hampshire Constabulary, said after the arrest: “Disorder will not be tolerated as it could cause real fear for residents, damage property and seriously hinder our officers who are working really hard to carry out their duties, make arrests and keep people safe.
“Officers intervened quickly and forcefully, but were confronted by a group of people acting aggressively, including some who threw objects at police.”
Inspector Neal Harvey said: “I am delighted with today’s outcome and I hope it sends a clear message about the seriousness of our response to these crimes.
“Comley is a dangerous individual and although luckily the child he believed he was communicating with in this case was not real, it is clear that the intent was there and could cause real harm if not caught.
“We are determined to ensure that anyone who seeks to harm children faces justice for their horrific actions and will relentlessly pursue offenders.”
