Is this guy a peado or am I being paranoid?

[purpledaze24]

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

Speak to the park warden

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

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.

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.

The park warden?!

Councils will have a Parks department, perhaps a member of staff could go and take a look

. 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.

Really? Could he be a photographer? Could the attachment on his phone be for professional purposes? Is it at all possible that he's taking pictures of nature or dogs rather than sexually objectifying children?

I get it OP - that would make me feel uneasy too if I was there with small children.

Not sure what to suggest though.

Seriously? You can't think of any reason why someone would have a daily routine when walking their dog that would involve them having a rest on a park bench and going on their phone other than that they are a paedophile?

Either you have no imagination or you have a very overactive one.

Surely an actual photographer would have more sense than to go to a park and photograph other peoples children?
Its not OPs problem to worry about whether he's dodgy or not, all she had to do is tell the police and let them deal with him.

Our son is in the process of buying a little house that backs onto a park in urban NW England. It has “park rangers”. I think wardens/rangers are making a bit of a comeback. Makes good sense in deterring low level and anti-social crime.

I just matched with a guy on tinder whos job title was "park ranger"

Yes, ours are called Rangers. Had them for 20 odd years.

Is he going to take you for a pic-a-nic?

Oh so if he’s a photographer then he’s ok taking photos of other peoples kids ?

OP said he’s taking pictures of kids NOT animals or nature.

It must be rough round here then as its the Police patrol the bigger parks!!!! I thought we were a gentrified "Shire" lol

I wasn't aware the OP had seen his photos. I have no idea what he's doing. I was giving an alternative explanation to him being a paedophile.

We have had several warnings about men taking photos of children in the parks near us. It happens, it’s a real thing.
The local police monitor the situation and ask parents to inform them if it happens again.
Speak to your local team.

Paedophile not peadophile

Maybe he's filming himself and the attachment is one of those selfie light things?

Assume hes a pedo. Don't approach but let the authorities know x

"Peado" looks like an Aldi knock off version of swimwear.

I wouldn't immediately jump to paedophile from Bloke On Bench With His Dog. I sit and edit the bird photos I take when I'm in the park and I usually do it near the children's playground because it's nice there. So perhaps I 'm biased towards having -a-sit-on-a-bench people.

But if you're worried, contact the parks department of your council.

The police will have zero interest in this. He is doing nothing wrong. If he makes you uneasy, go away. We have no idea whether he is a person sexualy attracted to children or not. You can't tell by reading about them. Even if he is, he is still allowed to take photos of fully clad children in a public place.