Paedophile who was exposed by online hunters threatened police officers with a knife when he was apprehended.

Grimsby Paedophile Jailed for Three Years and Seven Months

A Grimsby paedophile, James Rippington (28), was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison after being caught attempting to meet a woman for sex at Grimsby Railway Station. Rippington had been the subject of investigations by two separate groups of paedophile hunters due to his online activities.

One group posed as a 20-year-old woman and successfully obtained Rippington's real identity. They arranged a meeting at the railway station, with police alerted to his arrest. When police arrived, Rippington pulled out a knife and became aggressive towards the officers, shouting that they had ruined his life. He was eventually detained and charged with assault.

Rippington's online activities had previously attracted the attention of another group of paedophile hunters. He had contacted a nine-year-old girl from Louth on Instagram, claiming to be a 12-year-old boy. He asked her to send indecent photos, which she reported to her mother, leading to a police investigation.

A search of Rippington's phone revealed 94 indecent images of children. He denied any sexual interest in children, but admitted to the charges of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and possession of indecent images of a child.

In addition to his prison sentence, Rippington was placed on the sex offenders register for life and given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He had previously been dealt with by Humber Magistrates for possession of a bladed article and assault on an emergency worker related to his arrest.