English cricketer arrested in front of team for sending explicit messages to minor girls

After admitting to sending inappropriate messages to underage girls, a 29-year-old English cricketer was arrested on the field in front of his teammates. The cricketer named David Hymers was training on the field at Tynemouth Cricket Club in Northumberland when he was approached by a group of paedophile hunters who informed him that the police were on their way. According to The Mirror, a group called 'Guardians of the North' set up fake profiles of underage girls on social media in order to catch Hymers in the act.

Sent pics of private body parts

According to the chats obtained by The Mirror, Hymers was aware that the girls were underage, but he continued to send inappropriate messages to them using the same chat-up line. Hymers was involved in the activity since 2020. Hymers was arrested after posting on his social media account about a game he was going to participate in, which alerted the paedophile hunters to arrive with the police. According to the report, Hymers sent pictures of his private body parts during the conversation with the imposter, who tricked him into believing he was talking to a teenage girl. 

After the incident came to light, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) suspended Hymers from all cricketing activities overseen by the board. A spokesperson for the ECB also said that the board will conduct its own disciplinary inquiry upon completion of the legal proceedings against Hymers. The 29-year-old was ordered by the Newcastle Crown Court to a community order for three years with sex offender programme requirements. 

In April 2019, an Australian cricketer, who played for Worcestershire County Cricket Clun in England, was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of rape following a Whatsapp-based sexual scandal that came to the light in 2017. The cricketer named Alex Hepburn allegedly raped a sleeping woman as part of a "sexual conquest game" he played on the online messaging platform. 

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