A FORMER security guard who was snared by a paedophile hunter group has been jailed for nearly a year after being tricked into sending sexual messages to who he believed was a teenage girl.
Dean Gamon, of Chinook, Highwoods, was interviewed by police last year after being charged in 2022 with three counts of making indecent images of children and two counts of distributing indecent images of children.
Despite the police interview, Gamon then went on to send sexual messages just one month later to who he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, attempting to engage with them in sexual activity and sending naked pictures of himself.
Gamon also shared indecent images of children to another account he believed was being run by a fellow paedophile.
The individual he was communicating with was in fact a member of a paedophile vigilante group.
At Ipswich Crown Court on Wednesday, Gamon appeared remotely from HMP Belmarsh for sentencing.
The court heard how, in August and October 2022, Gamon had in his possession 108 indecent images of children, 25 of which were category A.
During the same period, Gamon had 33 category B images, 50 category C images, and on two occasions distributed category C images.
Gammon admitted the offences in a police interview in May 2023, but the following month, he attempted to engage in sexual communication with a child and caused a child to watch a sexual image.
Rhys Rosser, mitigating, told the court Gamon had an alcohol problem and was under the influence when he sent the messages.
But Judge Emma Peters took a dim view of Gamon’s offences.
She said: “You were in possession of a number of indecent images of children; they involve serious sexual activity with children as young as three.
“That is deeply troubling.
“You shared two category C images with another person who appears to be a fellow paedophile.
“Despite the fact you had just been interviewed in May 2022, a few weeks later you embarked on a sexual conversation with someone purported to be a child aged 13.”
“These offences are serious, and appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate imprisonment.”
Gamon was sentenced to 20 months in jail, and will be released on licence in November.
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