Reading Crown Court: Compton paedophile prowler caught in police net

A PREDATORY paedophile who prowled Newbury and wanted to rape a 10-year-old child has been caught in a police sting.

The 65-year-old had boasted about stalking pre-school girls at a water park and of leering at girl Guide Brownies near his home.

But Philip Saich was caught after engaging online with 'Kevin', who had offered up his supposed 10-year-old daughter for them to abuse together.

In fact Kevin was an undercover police officer and the trap snapped shut.

Sixty-five-year-old Saich of Westfields, Compton, was arrested after arranging to travel to Cambridgeshire to rape the child, the court heard.

Police who subsequently raided his home then found nearly 2,000 indecent images of children, and Saich's own defence counsel conceded he had "spiralled downwards" into "depravity".

Saich hung his head as Jonathan Sanks, prosecuting, outlined the messages he had sent Kevin, describing in detail what abuse he had wanted to inflict on a child.

Having sought out a website encouraging incestual abuse, Saich had boasted he was attracted to girls as young as four and believed it to be "natural".

When arranging to travel to Cambridgeshire to abuse the supposed 10-year-old named Chloe, Saich – a father and grandfather, the court heard – told the undercover officer he would have to be careful not to arouse the suspicion of "the missus".

Mr Sanks stressed, that, although he had claimed car trouble at the last minute, Saich's behaviour was "more than just bravado" and that he had gone so far as to arrange a date, adding that he was "serious" and "looking forward to it".

Mr Sanks added: "He wanted, effectively, to rape a 10-year-old child."

And while trying to ingratiate himself with Kevin, Mr Sanks went on, Saichs sent him photos of naked children and bragged that he "he went to a water park near where he lived to watch young girls get changed and get naked".

The prosecutor added that he had said there were "Brownies near where he sat parked in his car".

The court heard Saichs asked for Chloe to be dressed in school uniform while he abused her.

Saichs admitted trying to arrange sexual activity with a child and possessing indecent photos of children between February 5 and April 16, 2020.

Sam Trefgarne, defending, said his client, still employed as a wood worker, was "not a life-long, committed paedophile" but had "spiralled downwards and increased in depravity" in recent years.

A man of previous good character, Saichs had wrecked his reputation and marriage, the court heard.

Mr Trefgarne said: "His wife no longer wants anything to do with him" and added that, despite Saichs having tried to minimise his crimes, "there is now an element of recognition of the enormity of his offending".

He went on to say his client had tried to kill himself after being charged because of the social stigma but that his adult daughters had talked him out of further attempts.

Judge Emma Nott sentenced Saich to 48 months imprisonment, half of which he will spend behind bars, minus the time he has spent on remand, and the remainder on licence in the community.