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

He's in a public park and using his phone

It's not clearly different at all, you're just holding your phone up.

The play park isn’t enclosed from the wider park

Does it? It says he's sitting on a park bench in a park near a children's play area.

Yes a park with a play area of kids equipment which is unenclosed is a children's play area

Honestly, I dont know why youre bending over backwards to defend this man, who at best, needs to learn to behave appropriately around little children, but thats your business

I would just cite my concern with the people running the park, as its happened a few times now

I would take the best photo you can and pop into your local police station.

I wouldn't be comfortable either.

I'm shocked people are jumping to paedo here.

My local park has a children's play park area that is surrounded by benches that are for anyone's use. It's not unusual to see people alone or with dogs sitting on them. They might even - shock, horror - pick up their phone. Some of them even have proper camera equipment because, y'know, they like taking pictures of leaves and dogs and stuff.

It'll be a sad day when men can't even go to their local park because and go about their perfectly legal busienss because they're scared people will accuse them of something nefarious.

Take photos of him taking photos and put them here on MN. It’s not illegal after all. Maybe video too.

This man is just sitting in a PUBLIC park, presumably whilst walking his dog, using his phone

You haven't seen him but are quite sure he's in the children's area and obviously taking photos...

Yes its a children's play area, for children, as part of the wider park

Its weird to be sat there where little kids are when youre a grown man, giving the impression of recording, repeatedly

You think about how your behaviour comes across to others, in such a situation, and move further away

I certainly wouldnt want to potentially be on the receiving end of concerns from local mums because i'm making them uncomfortable

Criminals are everywhere and better reporting the concerns to be safe rather than sorry

No-one here has seen him?? We are relying on the op

Sharing videos and photos of him whilst calling him a paedophile, however, would be illegal

But you're so sure he's a wrong'un

I do think it would make sense to talk to the community policing team and just flag this up. It could of course be entirely innocent and hopefully they will establish this, but better safe than sorry.

Never said anything about calling him a paedophile. Could just be put on MN, fun in the park! Living life! Loving life in the park! Look at this cute dog! No filter!

I'm really not sure what to say to this tbh, so let's leave it at that

Then everyone in the park is in the children's play area because it's part of the park. Are they all paedophiles?

He's not recording. The OP thinks he's taking pictures. He's sitting on a bench while walking his dog and using his phone. That's all we know.

a person sexually attracted to children

Sounds a lot like MAP to me. Use the correct term. A paedophile.

OP I would be concerned too. Worth a 101 call if nothing else.

Could he be reading on his phone? Not taking photos?

Why is everyone who is scared of paedophiles unable to spell it?

No, there's an unenclosed children's play area, marked by the high presence of children and the things they use to play

Being sat repeatedly in such a section, appearing to take photos blatantly, with an attachment on your phone, is weird and a cause for concern

Sounds weird and like he could be a paedophile. However, it’s not illegal to be a paedaphile and they are allowed to take photos of children in public places. So, grim though it may be, I would let it go. Especially if you aren’t willing to strike up a conversation with him to see if you can get a sense of him.

Where is the park? Who maintains its? Ie parish council or city council? Let someone there know - there will be someone within who is responsible for open spaces and maintenance. It’s a safeguarding concern - they might not be able to do anything but at the least you can find out.

I can’t believe so many parents would be totally unmoved by a person who appears to be taking photos of minors.

call 101 and log it. The police won't go in all guns blazing but they may do a walk round to check it out and if he is a registered sex offender they may recognise him and be able to take action.

When my kid was small I noticed a couple of middle aged men, no kids, on a bench in the park showing each other their phones and I think filming. I didn’t say anything but thinking about it afterwards, I couldn’t imagine they were not up to no good.

Why's it acceptable for OP to definitely take photos of a stranger because she thinks that's what he might be doing and she isn't happy with it?

Either way, not illegal. As long as parents are dressing their children and so the hypothetical images are not indecent (and watching to make sure they're physically safe), there's nothing really happening even if he has some photos that they appear in.