THIS is the moment a cricketer who had been sexting underage girls was confronted by paedophile hunters – in front of his shocked team mates.
David Hymers was training at Tynemouth Cricket Club when members of Guardians of the North, a paedophile hunter group, challenged him on the sick chats.
His team mates looked on in horror as a member of the group told the player: “I need to speak to you about conversations you have been having online.
“The police are on their way.”
Footage later shows two cops arresting the 29-year-old and leading him off the pitch.
Hymers, of Warton Terrace, Heaton, Newcastle, later admitted two charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how Guardians of the North, who create fake accounts to expose sexual predators, had duped Hymers into thinking he was chatting to teens aged 13 and 14.
Prosecutor Andrew Espley told the court that Hymers, who was using the fake name “Hugh”, had initiated his conversations with the chat-up line: “Hey, that’s a nice top, did you get it on sale because it’s 100 percent off at my place.”
Mr Espley added: “He said he would extend the offer to their pants.”
The conversations became “more and more graphic”, the court was told. Hymers was confronted by the group in August last year.
Mr Espley said: “This case came to the attention of the authorities when Guardians of the North looked into the profile that the defendant had set up and established he would be playing cricket for a local cricket club on August 18.
“They turned up, they spoke to him, they called the police and Mr Hymers was arrested.”
The court heard that during the sick chats, in March and August last year, it was “made very clear” that the girls were underage – but Hymers continued with the conversations.
Mr Espley said that Hymers had also sent drawings of sex positions and pictures of his penis during the twisted conversations.
Hymers was sentenced to a community order for three years with sex offender programme requirements.
He must sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for five years.
Mr Recorder Ben Nolan QC said that paedophile hunter groups are “perfectly lawful”, but added: “Whether or not that is to be approved of, I’m not going to make any comment.”
He told Hymers: “It is a trick but it is a trick that you fell for. You fell for it for the worst of reasons.”
