BURY MAN JAILED FOR ATTEMPTED ONLINE CHILD SEX MEETING
Daniel Leigh, a 31-year-old man from Walmersley Road, Bury, attempted to meet a person he believed was a 14-year-old girl for sexual activity.He had made contact with an undercover police officer posing as the girl on the app 'Chat Avenue' in a chat room called 'Teen Chat' on September 9 last year.
Leigh was pretending to be a teenage girl named 'Millie' and had established a profile weeks prior to deceive young girls.
His communications included references to sexual acts and arrangements to meet in Norwich, where 'Jess', another decoy account, suggested they could find a hotel for a weekend.
Leigh eventually provided his phone number and agreed to meet.
Police tracked him down from his phone number, leading to his arrest on October 17.
Leigh pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sexual communication with a child.
He was on licence at the time and had previously breached a sexual harm prevention order issued for 10 years due to an earlier conviction.
During court proceedings, it was disclosed that Leigh's first sexual offence occurred between the ages of 15 and 16, resulting in a lengthy custodial sentence.
His solicitor highlighted his struggles from a young age, a troubled upbringing, ADHD, depression, and awaiting autism diagnosis.
The court sentenced Leigh to three years in prison and imposed a sexual harm prevention order for 15 years.
