My neighbour is a convicted paedophile

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I've just found out from another neighbour that the man two doors down, who we chat to regularly and are friendly with, has been convicted of horrific child pornography charges. Like, the worst. It's really thrown me, I have a two year old and a four year old and I want them to be able to play in their garden without worrying about him watching or worse.
We live on a really small street which the name of was reported in the local paper so I am also a bit worried about potential vigilante type actions. I am obviously hoping he moves away (his marriage has collapsed so I'm hoping he financially has to) but no sign of that yet. Incredibly he got a suspended sentence, what a joke. Am I unreasonable to feel like I want to move?! What do I do?

Well certainly here in n Wales. There's no point in moving. One got hounded out of our town. He turns up in our tiny village. Same face, same dog, same teddies in the window. He'd walk his dog in the children's park. We just banned the kids from talking to the bad man. Stopped going to the park which had a village hall hired out all the time for children clubs. We let every club know. He stayed around six months.

There are so, so many men who have viewed images of child abuse. Many more than the number who would actively and directly abuse a child (Im not saying that makes it lesser, but its important to keep in mind when making safeguarding decisions). We cannot protect children, or ourselves, from men's eyes unfortunately.

I do understand how you feel. A family member who spent a load of time with my kids when they were small has completed a long jail sentence for child abuse images (a long sentence for a first offence - it was serious stuff). They were never left alone with him, but I could have driven myself mad with the 'what was in his mind when he looked at them' line of thinking.

You will keep your children safe. His thoughts are his own affair. Any vigilante action will only drive him underground which heightens the risk to other children.

Yes, make it clear you know as does everyone on the street, tell him to steer clear of you and your children and if you see him so much as looking at your children you will be calling the police. “accidentally” let everyone you ideal to in on your worries.

Sarah’s law doesn’t give out information unless it’s considered to be necessary. The OP can apply: what happens after that might or might not assist:

”*Anyone who is worried about someone's behaviour towards a child can apply, not just a child's parents. This includes people like a grandparent, neighbour or friend.”

Your assessment is so messed up. They all start by looking at images, then some progress further and commit 'worse'. He doesn't get to receive the benefit of the doubt here. He likes kids and therefore every caution should be taken so he never gets the chance to abuse anyone again. If I had a man in my neighbourhood I would consider that all he could be prosecuted for were images. It does not mean he never did anything to a child.

Can you put anything on your fence line to block his view to your kids when they are in the back garden?

I get that you want him gone. But gone where exactly?

if I were you I’d just be relieved you know about this one enough to keep your guard up.

but never assume there’s not another one in your midst that you don’t know about.

There is one that lives at the end of my road. He's known locally. I would happily mow him down with my car.

I don't have small kids, and I believe there are limited places he is allowed to be unsupervised but even so. Absolute gutter scum.

I'd tell him why you no longer wish to engage with him, loudly, and without embarrassment. Unfortunately there are probably just plenty more we don't know about.

Tbh it's better to know and have that information.... There's a hell of alot of unconvicted ones around that you would never know about

My neighbour is a dirty rottern pedophile and we dont give him a inch of our time he knows wat we do my advice is dont talk done look he soon get the message

Oh please don't do this. Don't get tangled up in his life. Have nothing whatsoever to do with him. That could end really badly for you.

Please read the whole thing FGS.

"You must apply for information about a specific person and a specific child or children they spend time with. You cannot apply for general information about child sex offenders."

The OPs neighbour is not spending time with OPs children nor are there any specific DC she is worried the neighbour is spending time with which is the only way your quoted paragraph would apply.

I think this is an appropriate thing to say to just put an end to your connection with him. Ultimately though, pps are right that there are men with abuse histories, convicted and not, living all around us, and while it’s a shock to have it confirmed, most of us probably have one living in our immediate vicinity if not within our personal network, sadly.

The government should buy a remote island and put all the paedophiles on it. Drop some food (out of date supermarket sandwiches etc) on it every so often for a few months and then just let them fend for themselves, Lord of the Flies style. It's the only viable solution.

For the people who say “I would move.” No you wouldn’t.

That’s just such a snap response, but the reality is that moving to where there isn’t a known paedophile would involve having to do media searches for every Rightmove search you do.

Looking up convictions in the area, press reports for upcoming court cases etc etc. Assuming you have an actual job it’s logistically impossible.

I would actually do nothing.

I wouldn’t tell him I know. I wouldn’t stand and chitchat to him any more, but neither would I be spreading news around the neighbourhood or whipping up a frenzy, and neither would I be telling him that I know who he is and what he’s done.

I would behave normally.

These people almost certainly get a kick out of knowing that there are people who know what they’ve done, I wouldn’t let on in any way shape or form.

And if you need to go to extra lengths to protect your children then you need to ask yourself why.

Because you should be looking out for your children regardless, the measures you put in place shouldn’t be different just because you know he’s a paedophile.

Yes. You were suggesting a direct threat with consequences. In many situations that could be a criminal offence under UK law.
As vile as his offences are, driving somebody away, possibly to no or unstable accommodation and away from any support or supervision is
not the answer. It will increase his risk of reoffending and thus increase the risk to children. Especially if he can start again somewhere else, where his history is not known.
As has been demonstrated many times, it also encourages the flaming pitchfork brigade. With fall out such as we’ve all seen.
These crimes rightly and understandably give rise to revulsion. But the response needs to be considered and intelligent.

Thing is they may move and in that case he just becomes a problem for another community. I have enormous sympathy for the OP and all the other people who live near him but I am assuming that the police must know his whereabouts. One of the issues with vigilante action is that it drives peadophiles underground and away from the agencies who should be monitoring them. He will be on the sex offenders' register and may well have other condtions attached to him and if he vanishes this will be harder to enforce. It is a horrible situation but as others have said they ae everywhere and at least the OP knows to keep her children well away from this man

I used to work in a Probation Office. I was shocked by how many paedophiles and sexual offenders were within just a couple of streets of my house and my children's school. When they came in to the office they appeared to be the most charming and normal people you could meet, including a few women. My advice would be to calmly let him know you are aware and tell him to never approach your family or your home again. It's best he is made aware as you don't want him trying to seek help or go near your home if others approach him. Then ignore him and keep a close eye on your kids. As others have said, at least you know that he a threat and not to interact with him.

There are at least 3 Schedule 1 offenders within a mile or so of my house. I only know about them because they were clients of a project I used to work on. I live in a very close-knit town where gossip spreads like wildfire, and I'm sure if it was common knowledge locally, I'd have heard about it.

I bet there are loads more that I don't know about, too, and it's a pretty small town.

But....??

So they become another community's problem...

Whixh is rubbish...

There are AlWAYS sex offenders EVERYWHERE! Our job is to keep us safe and away from harm... Not make an offenders life a misery....

This will make then MORE likely to offend

I take it he’s not your children’s babysitter? No?

just ignore him. It really is as simple as that. You keep up your (I assume) usual high standard of vigilance with your children and you blank him.

anything else is pure drama

I would just keep my kids safe....

But like hell would i collude with keeping his vile secret... I'd ensure any local pals with kids knew.... Not for vigilantiism...

The sandwiches are too generous in my opinion 😂

I would deffo check with police... Assume you could so a Claire's Law request?

If you've had friendly contact with him...

Sometimes newspapers reporting is incorrect in terms of names...

I mean eg you could have a Robert Stevens and a Steven Roberts.... Very similar names and easily confused!

It's not my assessment, it's the assessment of the criminal justice system informed by social services, forsensic psychiatry and forensic psychological research.

So that's the best we have and the tools we use.

Like you said, 'some' commit contact offences which is why the offenders are monitored but not all do.

It's fact that DC are more at risk from the people intimately around them who are very likely not consuming CSAM and not paedophiles (there is a clinical definition) but are opportunistic contact offenders then some bloke down the road who has been convicted of possession of CSAM.

ALL child predators cam be someone's son or Dad, Uncle, nephew, friend, work colleague, Religious professional, Dr, teachers, sports coach etc

What happens often is when people are fretting about a CSAM consuming neighbour who never has contact with their kids, they're ignoring the predators active in their lives.

Threads like this make that point clear "oh you should move, tell everyone and he won't hang around etc'.

The least likely person to abuse your kids os the CSAM convicted person down the road who never has contact with them.

It's the people they are spending time with, their parents, Grandparents, extended family etc and teachers, Dr's.

You just have to be aware.