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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:
PollyNeedsACracker · 10/02/2026 01:50

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

crazeekat · 10/02/2026 01:59

Go and sit next to him and see if he keeps taking pics.

Whocares63 · 10/02/2026 02:05

DeepBlueDeer · 10/02/2026 01:35

But it doesn't sound like he's photographing children, persistently or at all.

As PPs have said, based on OP's description, the accessory on his phone couldn't be a zoom and sounds like it must be a macro lens.

Edited

And pp are now saying that this is a wind up thread. If it is, it's in extremely bad taste. Not funny at all

NumbersGuy · 10/02/2026 04:47

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

CasperGutman · 10/02/2026 07:25

MsPug · 12/08/2025 12:26

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

The 80s? I was a child in the 80s, and even then I was only aware of "Park Wardens" from anachronistic Beano stories.

I don't think I've ever seen a member of staff in a park who didn't have some specific job, e.g., ice cream seller, boat hire, mini golf attendant.

Is this something that only exists in particularly fancy London parks?

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