Inside the "child-stealing syndicate": Three men including a vigilante paedophile hunter accused of hiding mothers and kids in $140,000 yacht to secretly ship overseas are arrested
- Details
- Category: Australian Antipaedophile Party
- Created: Thursday, 18 October 2018 20:52
- Written by Ben Hill - Daily Mail Australia
Founder of Antipaedophile Party accused of masterminding criminal syndicate
Dr William Pridgeon allegedly organised for children to be taken from fathers His 'clandestine' organisation allegedly accused fathers of being paedophiles
Pridgeon allegedly bought yacht to move women and children from Australia The founder of the Australian Antipaedophile Party has been accused of masterminding a criminal syndicate which allegedly kidnapped children and their mothers.
Dr William Russell Pridgeon, 64, his friend Patrick O'Dea, 64, and an 83-year-old man have been charged in relation to the alleged criminal operation, which plotted to transport women and children on a $140,000 yacht from Australia to start new lives in New Zealand or Zimbabwe.
Patricia Plaisted, 78, and a 37-year-old vigilante who calls himself a 'paedophile hunter' have been issued with notices to appear in court in relation to the operation.
The children were allegedly taken after marriage breakdowns or custody battles - often contravening Family Court orders - with the mothers claiming their partners were paedophiles, the Courier-Mail reported.
Police allege Pridgeon undertook sailing lessons in order to use the yacht 56 South, and had sold his assets for gold bullion - at one point having 11kg (worth $750,000) at a storage facility in Sydney.
The syndicate allegedly plotted to transport women and children on a $140,000 yacht (pictured in Fremantle, Western Australia) from Australia to start new lives in New Zealand or Zimbabwe Patrick O'Dea, 64 (pictured in red shirt) was arrested on Wednesday and charged in relation to the operation Dr William Russell Pridgeon (left), 64, was arrested on Wednesday.
He founded the Australian Antipaedophile Party
Pensioners and professionals are believed to be part of the syndicate, which allegedly used encrypted messages in order to avoid detection.
Pridgeon - who was arrested at his home in Grafton, New South Wales on Wednesday - is a GP and founded the Australian Antipaedophile Party. He allegedly used Commonwealth money to create a network of 40 people which were part of the operation. Police allege O'Dea, who was also arrested on Wednesday, was given the job of driving around Australia for days at a time to pick up women and their children.
O'Dea - who once served in the Rhodesian army - allegedly stalked and threatened a father who eventually had his children returned to him years after they were taken. 394 shares RELATED ARTICLES Grandmother pimped out her own one-year-old granddaughter to her boyfriend and watched as he abused her
Woman who claims she was sexually assaulted HUNDREDS of times by two teachers in high school will be interviewed by detectives from the Lyn Dawson case It is alleged Pridgeon ran a Facebook page where women would send messages asking to escape from men they claimed to be paedophiles. Pridgeon allegedly wrote prescriptions in different names to give mothers drugs - also performing surgery on one of the women.
- Founder of Antipaedophile Party accused of masterminding criminal syndicate
- Dr William Pridgeon allegedly organised for children to be taken from fathers
- His ‘clandestine’ organisation allegedly accused fathers of being paedophiles
- Pridgeon allegedly bought yacht to move women and children from Australia
The founder of the Australian Antipaedophile Party has been accused of masterminding a criminal syndicate which allegedly kidnapped children and their mothers.
Dr William Russell Pridgeon, 64, his friend Patrick O’Dea, 64, and an 83-year-old man have been charged in relation to the alleged criminal operation, which plotted to transport women and children on a $140,000 yacht from Australia to start new lives in New Zealand or Zimbabwe.
Patricia Plaisted, 78, and a 37-year-old vigilante who calls himself a ‘paedophile hunter’ have been issued with notices to appear in court in relation to the operation.
The children were allegedly taken after marriage breakdowns or custody battles – often contravening Family Court orders – with the mothers claiming their partners were paedophiles, the Courier-Mail reported.
Police allege Pridgeon undertook sailing lessons in order to use the yacht 56 South, and had sold his assets for gold bullion – at one point having 11kg (worth $750,000) at a storage facility in Sydney.
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The syndicate allegedly plotted to transport women and children on a $140,000 yacht (pictured in Fremantle, Western Australia) from Australia to start new lives in New Zealand or Zimbabwe
Patrick O’Dea, 64 (pictured in red shirt) was arrested on Wednesday and charged in relation to the operation
Dr William Russell Pridgeon (left), 64, was arrested on Wednesday. He founded the Australian Antipaedophile Party
Pensioners and professionals are believed to be part of the syndicate, which allegedly used encrypted messages in order to avoid detection.
Pridgeon – who was arrested at his home in Grafton, New South Wales on Wednesday – is a GP and founded the Australian Antipaedophile Party.
He allegedly used Commonwealth money to create a network of 40 people which were part of the operation.
Police allege O’Dea, who was also arrested on Wednesday, was given the job of driving around Australia for days at a time to pick up women and their children.
O’Dea – who once served in the Rhodesian army – allegedly stalked and threatened a father who eventually had his children returned to him years after they were taken.
Pridgeon has been charged with conspiracy to defeat justice, dealing in the proceeds of crime and aid and abet child stealing, and will face court on Thursday. The operation allegedly spanned across the country, from Perth to New South Wales. The children were allegedly taken after marriage breakdowns or custody battles - often contravening Family Court orders - with the mothers claiming their partners were paedophiles
The arrests came after a two-year operation in which Pidgeon's yacht was raided by police. Ten search warrants were carried out in Grafton and Dubbo in NSW, in Perth and in Townsville, Queensland. Australian Federal Police assistant commissioner Debbie Platz said the group were 'organised and well-resourced'. 'The actions of this group do not protect children. What it does is potentially endanger the safety and wellbeing of them,' she said. 'During this two-year investigation, 10 missing children have been safely located in the custody of a parent who has abducted them. Five of these are believed to be linked to this group of people.
Police allege O'Dea (pictured in red shirt) was given the job of driving around Australia for days at a time to pick up women and their children 'We believe this group has sought assistance from other people – some who may be unaware of their involvement in criminal activity – so we are urging anyone with any knowledge about these activities to come forward to the AFP.'
AFP lead investigator Sergeant Darren Williamson said the alleged syndicate acted in a 'clandestine' way. 'So if parents and children went into hiding, (Pridgeon) provided his vehicle. He provided a car to move these people around the country,' Williamson said. 'He's also given them provisions (like) food (and) medical support and everything suggests so far… that it was off the books.'
ALLEGED CHILD STEALING SYNDICATE MEMBERS
Alleged mastermind Dr William Russel Pridgeon, 64 Founder of the Australian Antipaedophile Party, charged with conspiracy to defeat justice, deal in the proceeds of crime to the value of $50,000 or more, aid and abet child stealing Alleged mother and child courier
Patrick O'Dea, 63 Retired, charged with conspiracy to defeat justice, aid and abet child stealing, unlawful stalking, using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, publish an account of proceedings. Allegedly paid to defame fathers and investigate.
Man, 37 Unemployed/'paedophile hunter', served court attendance notice for role in alleged criminal activity. Allegedly helped mothers and their children
Woman, 83 Retired, charged with deal in the proceeds of crime, aid and abet te publication of an account of proceedings. Allegedly helped mothers and their children
Patricia Plaisted, 78 Retired, served a court attendance notice.
