A Devon man who tried to groom and have sex with an underage girl was confronted by paedophile hunters who called him a “wrongun”.
The 43-year-old thought he was meeting a 14-year-old girl called Emily who had travelled 200 miles to have sex with him.
But he was cornered by three different groups outside John Lewis in Sidwell Street after giving the decoy details of what he was wearing.
Woolner pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating a child sex offence and attempting to incite a child to sexual activity between September 30 and October 15 at Exeter Crown Court.
He also admitted attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming on October 22.
The charge specifies that he contacted ‘Emily’ on at least two occasions and intended to have penetrative sex with her.
Woolner was trapped by Totnes Justice and the North West Hebephile Hunting (NWHHG) group when he contacted decoys posing as 14-year-old girls last month.
He was confronted for the first time on October 15, when evidence was passed to the police.
He contacted another decoy again and was stung for a second time.
Members of Totnes Justice and the NWHHG were joined by activists from the UK Database and filmed a 13-minute confrontation outside John Lewis in Exeter on the evening of October 22.
Exeter Crown Court heard he was expecting to meet a 14-year-old girl called Emily and it was clear from the messages he had sent her over the previous eight days that he expected them to have full sex.
Judge Timothy Rose adjourned sentence until next month and remanded Woolner in custody.
He warned him that all options, including immediate imprisonment, remain open.
Mr William Parkhill, defending, said Woolner has no serious offences in the past and suffers from autism.