A man whose dramatic arrest by a self-styled paedophile hunter group sparked a full-blown riot on a quiet Hampshire housing estate has pleaded guilty to a child sex offence.
Lee Comley, 38, from Middle Park Way, Leigh Park in Havant, was arrested on July 1 after being confronted by members of a vigilante group who livestreamed the encounter on Facebook in front of hundreds of furious viewers.
The chaos that followed saw riot police deployed as violent disorder erupted on the once-peaceful Leigh Park estate – with fences torn down, missiles hurled at police, and even an 80-year-old blind man hospitalised after a brick was thrown through his window.
Appearing via video link from HMP Winchester, Comley admitted at Portsmouth Crown Court to a single charge of attempting to incite a 14-year-old child into sexual activity.
In reality, the 'child' was a decoy from the group calling itself the Child Online Safety Team.
