AIBU: sex offender at my social gathering

[HoppyFish]

Hi folks. Not sure this is the best place to post this but I value your advice. I have been going to a nice life drawing session for years. Nothing sexual about it, it's more of a social gathering, with music, a cuppa, bit of food, and drawing/painting with fellow artists. However, there's a man, in his sixties, not a professional artist, who makes me uneasy. He is always quick to befriend any young female attendees or models, and invites them to his studio or home for photoshoots (for portrait work) and possibly painting. I suppose some people would describe him as a 'creep'. He never asks males, middle-aged or older women. He also sometimes stops drawing early, moves position, and sits staring at the model (when female) as if in a trance. Now, I suppose there is nothing wrong in any of this - an amateur artist wanting to paint portraits maybe wants to specialise in young females. And maybe when staring at the model without drawing he is simply studying anatomy or light and shadow. Anyway, my uneasiness led me to do a little online research on him, and I have discovered that he was jailed for downloading indecent images and mainly videos of children, levels 1 (most serious) to 5, involving men having sex with girls, aged between 2 and 9. He was jailed for a year and spent 10 years on the register. I expect he came off the register around four years ago. I think I am the only one who knows this, and it makes me feel even more uneasy about him. But is there anything to be concerned about? All the models and attendees at the life drawing session are over eighteen. I suppose I should just let him get on with his hobby, but I can't help continuing to feel uneasy, especially when I see him swapping numbers with every new young woman who he encounters. I expect they are impressed by the 'portrait artist' wanting to paint them, but I wonder if they would be keen to pose for him if they knew what I knew, and if they knew he never seems to produce any finished paintings? Am I being unreasonable? Thanks for your time.

Fuck the police.

Tbh Im slightly amazed you are hesitating. You absolutely need to tell the organisers if you are sure!
Appart from safety issues this creep is bringing his perversion where its absolutely not meant to be.
Ive done life drawing for decades and this is verbotten in reputable classes.
I dont know if its a professional body setting it up or more casual, but you must tell them. And the models, because they are the ones at risk.
Tell them his behaviour was letting off red flags and you googled him.

Although I would query how you got his full name, thats very unusual. Did he volunteer it? It seems such an obvious situation, that its quite hard to credit it.

I’d want to know because what if the young women have children. An take them to his studio? Could it be a way to try and access children?

id want to know so I could make an informed decision about who I spend time with. He won’t have changed what he is attracted to. Prisons are rubbish at rehab at the best of times. Yes he’s done his time etc but I’d still want to know.

How can you know that none of the young adults attending are vulnerable? People become vulnerable for all kinds of reasons and most of them are not visible to the outside world.

Also, there is a real power imbalance in this situation with the artist seeming highly important and the young attendees feeling flattered by his attention.

I’ve been to various life drawing classes and the atmosphere is very respectful and careful - if there had been anyone behaving like this at any I have attended I’m sure the tutor or organiser would have had a word or made it clear that they had been clocked. Asking the models for private sessions is a real no no.

Professional artists often go to general tutored classes because it shares the cost and it avoids the whole ‘ come to my house, unaccompanied, and take your clothes off’ scenario.

Thats a bloke talking

@BiscuityBoyle

Well the simple answer would be don't strip off in an art class for go knows who is attending. You cannot police people's minds and perversions.

If that's your thinking then who would ever go to a beach in a bikini? Or take their kids to a water park?

Nasty perverts are literally EVERYWHERE and we can't do anything about it. Just keep our kids as safe as possible. A fully functional adult choosing to get their clothes of in an art class is chancing the fact that all of the attendees might not just be there for the art.

Only a dodgy bloke would say something like that.

Print out copies of what you found. Arrive to class an hour early, leave them on all the desks and then leave again. Arrive on time.

That's not what the OP states - he was jailed for the download of indecent images?

Email the news article to the organiser and speak to them privately.. Maybe they have protocol for such a situation?

Once again, people can have a different opinion and still be a woman.

Tricky one!
Whilst he's 'served his time' his current behaviour still leaves a lot to be concerned about.
Your spidery senses are obviously picking up on some inappropriate (if not illegal behaviour) almost irrespective of his past. See if you can jot down all the points that are unsettling you.
He's clearly using the art class space for some sort of thrill/pick up young women. He should not be allowed to simply sit and look at a model without undertaking the point of the class ie drawing!
Perhaps approach the class teacher/manager of the art centre (as appropriate) and say that you are concerned about the behaviour of one of the other attendees. You could just mention what you have observed during sessions and why you are uncomfortable. I would be surprised if there wasn't a certain duty of care towards the life models from those employing them. In passing possibly mention that you have Googled them and there is additional concerning information about them on line.
This maybe a new tactic for this guy - young but overage women, to reduce chance of being caught again. Or that they might have young children etc around that they can have access to.
Whatever you do, I don't think you can just sit back and ignore.

He downloaded them not raped them but watched other men rape children

plus if he did 1 year custodial it’s 5 years on the register not 10 unless that was put on for him at trial. which can happen

I’m surprised he hasn’t been ousted to be honest as a lot of folks these days for their own safety google men

I’d make the teacher aware but he isn’t doing anything illegal by being there sadly.

If you know roughly the area in which he lives, contact the local probation office and explain the situation to them.

Surely these days, AI or 3D printers could come up with a "lifelike" life model. Classes like this will attract such men, even though there is nothing overtly sexual about it for the rest of the class. That's the reality and I would just leave and take up another hobby TBH.

Awful that women are targeted like this, but that's the way it is judging by the posts so far. If you complain you will be at fault. No wins.

OP you wouldn’t be accusing him of anything. You are simply sharing factual information in the public domain. I would speak to the course leader, show them the evidence and ask them to keep you informed of what they intend to do. That way you are giving them a chance to act at least. Personally, in your shoes I wouldn’t feel comfortable continuing to attend those classes ,but Im not saying you should feel the same.

In OP's first post it doesn't say anything about rape - it says indecent images?

"You're likely to come across as a gossip and could find yourself in trouble yourself"

I highly doubt that.

We're talking about a paedophile here.

Anyone who focuses on labelling her a gossip instead of focussing on the paedo is insane.

But he isn’t on probation

It's not his hobby. It's an easy way of seeing naked young women. Definitely tell the other members.

it was for looking at images not the actual raping of girls.

not condoning obviously but that’s the reason for the sentence not being higher .

Really?! He's served his time? He's a pedophile and he'll always be one ffs. People like you are a massive issue in covering it up. Shameful view.

You'd be happy at a sec offender sitting watching you when you're naked? Give over.