A Ripon man has been charged with attempting to cause/incite a female child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
The man, aged in his forties, was arrested in Ripon on the night of Sunday 10 February 2019 after information was passed on to the police.
He was remanded in custody to appear at York Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 12 February 2019.
Statement dated 11 February 2019
Police have arrested a man in his forties on suspicion of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity after information was passed on by a paedophile hunter group.
The arrest was made on the night of Sunday 10 February in Ripon. The man remains in police custody at this time.
In this specific case, it is important to remember that the man has a right to a fair trial and we strongly urge people – especially online – not to act in a way which could compromise the course of justice, this includes posting images and details on social media or websites.
North Yorkshire Police will act appropriately on any information which is brought to our attention. However, our position on so-called paedophile hunter groups reflects the position of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, in that we understand the desire to protect children but any member of the public who has information about child sexual abuse, online or otherwise, should get in contact with the police so we can investigate and bring people to justice.
