Jonathan Quinnell – Bristol

A man who tried to meet up with a 14-year-old girl to commit sexual abuse has avoided prison.

Jonathan Quinnell, 62, was living in Orpington when he used an app to send sexual messages to an account he believed to be a child.

The retired civil servant turned “life coach” found himself confronted by the paedophile hunters at his doorstep in December 2023.

Despite pleading guilty to attempting to meet a child following grooming, Quinnell continues to deny being sexually attracted to children.

At Croydon Crown Court on Monday (February 2) Quinnell, now living in Bristol, avoided prison by the “narrowest of margins” as he was instead handed a suspended sentence.

Prosecutor Martin Ingle told the court that Quinnell had been using an app to message multiple accounts he believed belonged to girls as young as 12.

In his conversation with a girl who he believed to be 14, Quinnell said he would like to do “adult stuff” and had been looking into journey times to meet up.

He also told her that if an adult saw their messages “they would think he was grooming her and he would go to prison”.

On December 20, 2023, the paedophile hunters behind the decoy account arrived at his home and live streamed his arrest online.

Quinnell had spent two decades as a civil servant before his retirement on medical grounds in 2005.

He now describes himself on LinkedIn as a psychic, hypnotherapist, life coach, healer and published author.

Judge Edward Connell said: “I’ve read the letter you wrote to the court in which you express your horror and revulsion for this offending, but you continue to deny having sexual interest in children. You said this happened at a period of great stress.”

The judge said that despite Quinnell being in denial, he had concluded that “by the narrowest of margins” he could suspend the sentence as there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

Quinnell was handed a one-year prison sentence suspended for two years.

He will be required to sign the sex offenders’ register for the next decade.