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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is this guy a peado or am I being paranoid?

155 replies

purpledaze24 · 12/08/2025 12:20

I take my 3 yo DS to our local play park around 3 mornings a week. Often when we’re there there’s this man there sitting on a bench with his dog, but never with a child, he’s always just with the dog. The play park isn’t enclosed from the wider park so he didn’t stand out that much at first but the last few times I’ve seen him he seems to be taking pictures with his phone of the kids playing. He’s pretty blatant about it, not trying to hide it. He also has an attachment on his phone, which looks like it’s over the camera lens. I’ve never got close enough to properly inspect it but it looks like a small black square over the lens and sticking up at the top of the phone. I’m wondering if this could be a zoom…he looks very normal (not that that means anything I know), early 30s, good-looking, well-dressed. I’ve never seen anyone challenge him - maybe because he’s so blatant about it & the park is often busy & people probably assume he has a child playing who he’s taking pictures of. He definitely doesn’t btw. I’ve seen him leave and arrive before and it’s always just him and the dog. I know that, technically he’s not breaking any laws. Anyone can takes pictures of anyone in a public place but he’s giving me the creeps. I cannot think of any possible reason why he’d so regularly be taking photos of random children other than that he’s a peadophile. There’s also nothing else he could be taking pics of, his dog is by his side. AIBU? What should I do? I don’t feel comfortable challenging him

OP posts:
pamelanoon · 12/08/2025 12:38

Are you sure he is taking photos of the children. People do all sorts of things on the phone.

An awful thing happened to me in a restuarant in Spain.

I was sitting at a table by myself and i was reading a book on my phone. I was holiding the phone pretty vertical i guess.

There was a family sitting at the table across from me with one child, a girl.

The father walked over to me and said "don't take photos of the girl".

I was so shocked and i said "I wasn't". I was actually really offended as he was accusing me of something really bad, and I was just reading a book on my phone. Some parents are paranoid.

PhilippaGeorgiou · 12/08/2025 12:34

MsPug · 12/08/2025 12:26

This isn't the 80's! when was the last time you saw a parky at work? 😂

Sunday here. To be fair she is on leave this week.

OP, I think it can be easy to draw the wrong conclusions, but if you are genuinely worried provide the police with as much detail - descriptions /times etc - and someone, probably a PCSO, will check it out.

Most phone cameras have decent zooms already - if you were that interested in photo's you would buy a better phone, not an attachment.

Oh and you will alays see me and the dog in the park too. Sometimes we sit on benches. In all honesty people up to nefarious things are usually less obvious about it.

MsPug · 12/08/2025 12:26

MissMoneyFairy · 12/08/2025 12:21

Speak to the park warden

This isn't the 80's! when was the last time you saw a parky at work? 😂

Profhilodisaster · 12/08/2025 12:21

I'd report him , no one should be taking photos of other people's children .

MissMoneyFairy · 12/08/2025 12:21

Speak to the park warden