Neighbour is a convicted paedophile

[Abitlosttoday]

I have just found out that our close (proximity-wise) neighbour has been given a suspended sentence for looking at peadophilia online. His address, in the news report of court proceedings, is not our street but an address in a different town. However, it is him (there's a clear photo) and he has been living on our street with his partner for at least a year. I saw him a few days ago when he pulled his two dogs out of the way so I could pass with my kids. They're 4 and 7. (The kids, not the dogs!) I don't know what to think. It's a small street. I can see into his living room from mine. It's a small town too. His partner is my SIL's sister's boss. I don't know their names though - that's the level of familiarity. Just because my head is battered with half-term and I am exhausted, aibu to ask what your thoughts would be about this situation. All his crimes were online but some of the images were the worst sort.
We only know because another neighbour has a distant work connection to the guy. He may believe he has some anonymity here. I cried when I heard. I'm angry too. My head hurts, but that may also be because of this endless school break!

Yes, exactly right! The 70,000+ are rhe convicted ones. We don’t know about the ones that haven’t been caught.

Just to add, if you report and police and courts are aware you won't be doing anything wrong but police will be able to check and confirm it's all fine. This is a genuine issue and people waste police time with ridiculous report every day. This will not be seen as time wasting so best report and let police decide if there is anything wrong

Or it might not be him. I remember a wave of vigilantes beating up so called paedophiles in cases of mistaken identity. The cherry on the cake was a paediatrician who was driven from her home.

Remind yourself that you know about this one and can avoid him.

It's the ones you DON'T know about, that no one knows about, who haven't previously been caught, are not on any register.. that pose the bigger threat.

It is him. As I said before, his face is in the paper and I have seen his face regularly for over three years, since I bought this house. It's not gossip or speculation. It is the same man.

We had the same when my kids were young. A convicted paedo suspended sentence for accessing porn online. He was a Tory councillor so it received press coverage. It is awful but at least you know and can take precautions.

Check with the police tomorrow they have his current address and make sure there are no restrictions on him living a certain distance to children etc. that's pretty much all you can do.

There's probably loads of paedophiles in your road and the surrounding area.

The difference is they're not convicted, so no-one knows 🤷‍♂️

Same here. But a London Labour councillor (Hackney). Also a suspended sentence, for downloading the worst stuff. That's how they caught him, the idiot freak was uploading images to his Google drive.

I genuinely don't understand the strength of your reaction. He's not a threat to your children and presumably won't have access to them.

There are so many people who have criminal records and many more who are committing illegal acts but simply haven't been caught / you don't know about.

I'm more concerned with neighbours/teachers/family members/police/doctors etc. We tend to trust certain professionals without asking enough questions. I'd rather spend time considering how we raise kids to be aware and alert to danger without putting the fear of god into them and labelling every stranger as dodgy!

He's not a threat to your children and presumably won't have access to them

And you know that how? He's a paedophile.

Good idea, I’d report it to the police just in case.

Op I would feel uncomfortable too. But I guess other than the police thing above, you decide if you can live with it or not. I’d obvs never get friendly with them!

Of course there are no restrictions saying he can't live a certain distance from children. How would that ever work? Every street will have children on it.

The good thing is you know he's. Paedophile and can keep your kids away. ,here will be loads more non convicted Paedophile, s you don't know about.

It’s really discombobulating. A friend’s husband has just been convicted looking a child abuse videos. I’ve had that man in my house, around my children.

I was horrified that I could have let some who could do that into our lives.

No advice but solidarity as we have one living on our street, he was named/pictured when he reoffended more recently and his street address was stated in the newspaper. His house has been up for sale ever since however it isn’t budging unfortunately - probably because it’s not hard to find the news articles. Makes me feel sick every time I see him but at least I know who he is, there must be lots of people living next to criminals of any nature with no idea.

I would be totally disgusted too. Yes it's true there's nothing you can do and it's also true that it's a better thing to know about him and to be cautious.

Such people are allowed to move into communities and
have a level of anonymity. Their wellbeing and opportunity to move on is put in front of safeguarding our children. Anyone living close to someone with such convictions should be informed.

There will be plenty of people everywhere who have committed offences. I used to attend MAPPA meetings and truthfully, offenders were everywhere. It's quite possible that many of us live near people who have committed horrendous offences. The best thing you can do is give your children appropriate advice so they don't go to 'look at kittens' etc so they are safe.

He may not be allowed to live near a school. And our neighbour isn't allowed to be in places where children might be, such as a restaurant or a pub, without notifying the police.

I think the strength of my reaction is born from the atrocious thought that he has been looking at my kids from his window, on their way to school or wherever. It's an emotional reaction because I know this doesn't impact them in real terms. I don't fear for their safety and I am in no way naieve about how many men like him are in our midst. But THIS man is on my street and these are MY children sharing a street with him.
Having said that, I also have another news story in my head from just a few days ago - a young man in Wales convicted of making AI porn featuring real children's faces. Incredibly unsettling. I think his was a landmark conviction.

I remember that the thickos defaced a brass sign it was the dr's name and her profession.. paediatrician.
Op you live your life at least you know what he is ,it's the ones you don't know about are the concern.

He will be less risk than others to your family as you know who he is and what he has done. You can take what steps you feel you need to in order to keep your children safe.

He will most likely be on the sex offenders register and monitored by police. Pedophiles are vile and deserve a special place in hell but the opportunity in this is you will now be even more aware of risks to your children and can put in preventative measures.

One lives on the next street to me. Right next to a school. Kids walk past his house twice a day. Every day. He’s lost custody of his own children. In a relationship with a woman who has a young child. Police don’t do anything. You’ll just have to live your life knowing he’s there

The ones you know about are also a concern. Or do you think they are suddenly not paedophiles once they are convicted?

All these people on here saying mind your own business, he's not a threat etc, are the same people that when these nonce freaks are caught wanking outside a school/grooming a local child/caught with 1000s of child sex abuse images on their device say oh why did no one do anything, someone must have known.
I'm sorry you are upset OP, I would be too, paedophiles ruin lives in so many ways, I agree with the people saying it is good you are aware of him because you can keep an eye on him.
Although if it was me I wouldn't keep quiet, everyone in street would know within an hour!