Paul Southern

Paul Southern is a convicted sex offender and a former hotel worker. He is also gay.

During or after September 2016, he was snared in a sting by Guardians of the North after grooming and inviting what he thought was a 14-year-old boy called Ryan to his house. Southern was later arrested and bailed, but while on bail in December 2016, he went back online and spoke to what he thought was a 14-year-old boy called Thomas. Southern also invited "Thomas" to his house for sex, and Southern was confronted and arrested for the second time.

As a result of his actions, Southern was jailed fot 21 months, made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, and was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years. Southern was sentenced by Judge Amanda Rippon, and a woman named Emma Dowling prosecuted during the trial.