CHILD RAPIST JAILED FOR BREACHING ORDERS
A man convicted of child sexual abuse has been sentenced to prison after police discovered him hiding two mobile phones in the glove compartment of his mother’s vehicle during his arrest.Authorities received information that Chris Leyburn, using the online pseudonym ‘Lizardman1990’ on Snapchat, had been accessing the platform despite restrictions that barred him from online activity unless under specific conditions.
The 34-year-old was subject to both a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and a notification requirement order (NRO) following his convictions for serious sexual offenses involving a young girl and boy.
At Teesside Crown Court, it was revealed that Leyburn had repeatedly violated these orders since they were imposed after his rape convictions in 2006.
Prosecutor Dan Wilberforce stated that police were tipped off about Leyburn’s activity on Snapchat under the alias ‘Lizardman1990’.
Law enforcement recovered two mobile phones from the glovebox during a search, with digital analysis revealing that he had been communicating with his girlfriend since January 2024.
Leyburn, residing on Aylton Drive in Middlesbrough, admitted to breaching his SHPO twice and his NRO once following his arrest on September 12.
He argued that the court orders infringed on his human rights and claimed ignorance about the obligation to disclose his online alias.
Judge Richard Bennett described Leyburn’s conduct as a ‘persistent breach,’ sentencing him to two years in prison for lying about his access to the mobile phones.
The judge explained that Leyburn had been using one of the phones and Snapchat since January 2024, thereby violating the court’s restrictions.
The judge emphasised that Leyburn’s continued use of Snapchat over nine months demonstrated a deliberate breach of his order.
He noted Leyburn’s history of convictions for raping minors aged under 16 and under 13, as well as other child sexual offenses.
The order was intended to mitigate the risk he poses to children, and despite multiple lengthy sentences, Leyburn’s disregard for court conditions persists.
