IAN LEYLAND FROM BLACKPOOL SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING TEENAGE BOY IN POLICE STING

A man identified as Ian Leyland, residing in Blackpool, has been found guilty of engaging in explicit sexual communications with a person he believed to be a teenage boy. The incident was uncovered through an operation conducted by paedophile hunters, who set up an online sting to catch individuals attempting to exploit minors.

According to reports from Lancashire Constabulary, Leyland, aged 36, engaged in highly explicit and inappropriate conversations with what he thought was a young male under the age of 16. Unbeknownst to him, the individual he was communicating with was actually an adult posing as a minor, part of an online activist group dedicated to exposing potential offenders. This group reported Leyland to the police after the conversations took place.

Law enforcement officials confirmed that Leyland’s online exchanges included sexually explicit language and propositions, despite him being informed of the true age of the person he believed he was speaking to. Detectives have emphasized that Leyland’s actions demonstrate a clear risk to young males, particularly teenage boys, and pose ongoing concerns for community safety.

In court, Leyland, who resides on Coronation Street in Blackpool, pleaded guilty to multiple charges. These included two counts of attempting to incite or cause a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, although no physical acts of penetration occurred. He also admitted to breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) by attempting to communicate with a minor under 15, along with six additional breaches of the same order.

The court sentenced Leyland to a total of 12 years in prison. This sentence comprises four years of imprisonment, followed by an extended license period of eight years, during which he will be subject to strict supervision and restrictions to prevent further offending.

Detective Constable Helen Helme, from the West Management of Sexual or Violent Offenders team, commented on the case, stating, “Ian Leyland clearly poses a risk to males, especially teenage boys, as he has engaged in highly explicit sexual conversations when he had clearly been told the age of the person he thought he was talking to.” She expressed her support for the sentence, emphasizing that it will help protect vulnerable individuals from Leyland’s lewd and predatory behavior for many years to come.