LEANN GILDER ON THE RUN FROM BLACKPOOL AND PRESTON: POLICE HUNT SEX OFFENDER WHO BREACHED RELEASE CONDITIONS

In a serious development, authorities are actively searching for Leanne Gilder, a convicted sex offender with ties to Blackpool, Chadderton, and Preston, who has failed to comply with the strict conditions of her release from prison. Gilder, aged 29, was sentenced to five years in 2012 after being convicted at Manchester Crown Court of causing or inciting child prostitution, a crime that has left a lasting scar on her victim and the community.

Her victim was a 14-year-old girl, who was manipulated with drugs and subjected to sexual abuse by a man. Gilder was released from custody in September of the same year, and her last known whereabouts was in Preston. However, she has since gone into hiding, and police are now seeking her for failing to inform authorities of her current address, which is a violation of her legal obligations.

Gilder, who may have connections to Blackpool and Preston, is described as being approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a slim build. Her long hair, which has reportedly been dyed bright red, has undergone significant changes since her original conviction, making her harder to identify. She is under a lifelong Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which mandates her to notify police of her whereabouts at all times. This order was put in place to prevent her from reoffending and to monitor her movements closely.

Detective Inspector Jo Dent of Lancashire Constabulary issued a public appeal, stating, “I would appeal to anyone who has seen Gilder or who has any information about where she might be to contact us. I would also urge Gilder herself to hand herself in to the police.” Her disappearance has raised concerns about her potential risk to the community, given her criminal history and the conditions she has breached.

Gilder’s criminal history is extensive. In August 2012, she was sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of selling a runaway 14-year-old schoolgirl to a builder for sex. The incident took place in Oldham, where Gilder, then 26, from Radcliffe Street, Chadderton, had lured the girl into a drug den, dressed her up with makeup, and supplied her with crack cocaine. She then took the girl to Manchester’s notorious red light district to solicit clients.

One of the clients, Michael Booth, a 44-year-old from Moor Road, Padiham, paid Gilder £60 for sex with the teenager. Booth subsequently molested the girl in his Transit van. After the encounter, Gilder treated the girl to a pizza with the money she earned before they returned to Oldham. The following day, Booth contacted Gilder to inquire if the girl was “doing business,” but the girl refused. Police later returned her safely to her home in Manchester.

During her trial at Manchester Crown Court, Gilder maintained her innocence, claiming she believed the girl was 18 and that they had been working together as prostitutes. She alleged that they met at the Catacombs drop-in centre at Piccadilly, then traveled to Oldham to smoke drugs, and later walked back to Manchester’s red light district in the early hours. However, the jury rejected her account after the girl testified that Gilder had pimped her out for financial gain, exploiting her vulnerability.

Gilder was convicted of controlling child prostitution but was acquitted of inciting it, after evidence showed she had been stopped by police in the red light district on another occasion. She failed to appear at her sentencing hearing in July but was subsequently arrested and remanded in Styal Prison. She was brought back to court, where she mouthed “I’m innocent” and sobbed as Judge Michael Henshell sentenced her. The judge emphasized the severity of her crimes, describing her as viewing the girl as a “commodity.”

Her defense attorney, Richard Orme, argued that the offenses, which dated back to October 2010, were out of character for Gilder, who was generally known as a shoplifter. He claimed her actions occurred during “two days of drug-fueled madness” and suggested that her behavior was a result of chaotic circumstances. Orme also pointed out that the victim had not escaped from Gilder’s house on Lyn Street, Chadderton, where she was staying, and had even provided a false name to police during a separate investigation.

Judge Henshell dismissed these arguments, stating that there was no mitigation for the crime, especially considering the victim’s vulnerable state. He highlighted that Gilder did not reasonably believe the girl was over 18, noting her young appearance and the fact that Gilder had applied makeup to her before taking her into town, indicating a deliberate attempt to conceal her true age and facilitate her exploitation.

In addition to Gilder’s sentencing, Michael Booth received a six-year prison term, with an extended four-year license period, after being found guilty of child sex offenses alongside Gilder. The case underscores the ongoing concerns about child exploitation and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to prevent such crimes from recurring.