LEE DONALDSON'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN WASHINGTON: PREDATOR TARGETS TEENAGE GIRLS ONLINE AND IS JAILED

In a disturbing series of events that have shocked the community of Washington, a man named Lee Donaldson has been convicted and sentenced for a pattern of heinous sexual offenses involving minors. The case highlights the dangers posed by online predators and the importance of vigilant law enforcement.

In February, Donaldson, aged 40, initiated contact with a 15-year-old girl through the social networking platform Netlog. To facilitate ongoing communication, he even sent her money to purchase a mobile phone, demonstrating a calculated effort to establish a closer connection. Once contact was established, Donaldson began bombarding the young girl with inappropriate messages and phone calls, attempting to persuade her to engage in sexual acts and repeatedly requesting explicit photographs of her. His actions came just 23 days after his release from prison, where he had served a five-and-a-half-year sentence for a series of sexual offenses involving schoolgirls and minors online.

When apprehended, Donaldson attempted to justify his conduct by claiming he wanted to be the girl’s “guardian angel.” He argued that his actions were a form of socialization without fear of rejection and bizarrely claimed that his offending had a “positive impact” because he was supposedly teaching her about sex. These claims were met with skepticism by the court, which was presented with a probation service report that described Donaldson’s behavior as “disturbing.”

Judge Roger Thorn QC sentenced Donaldson to three years in prison, with an additional four-year period of extended license. The judge emphasized the gravity of Donaldson’s actions and the concerning nature of his justifications. He stated, “You have tried to justify your current actions as a way to socialise without fear of rejection. That simply is not the full story of what was going on here. A paragraph in the probation report indicates you believe your sexual offending does not harm your victims but rather benefits them and that you were teaching them how to enjoy sex.”

The court was also informed that Donaldson has been assessed as posing a “high risk” of re-offending. As part of his sentence, he is required to register as a sex offender and adhere to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for life. Defense attorney Julie Clemitson expressed hope that Donaldson, who has cooperated with treatment programs, can emerge from prison as a “better person.”

Donaldson’s criminal history is extensive. In 2009, he was sentenced to five and a half years after posing as a 14-year-old boy online to target teenage girls across the UK. He acted as a confidant to girls aged 13 to 15, offering emotional support while secretly engaging in explicit exchanges and encouraging them to perform sex acts online. Some victims were persuaded to send explicit photographs after Donaldson sent them images of himself as a teenager, making his deception more convincing.

He was released on January 23 of this year under strict license conditions, which included a ban on contacting minors over the internet. However, by February 15, he had resumed his predatory behavior. During a recent hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Donaldson pleaded guilty to charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, specifically involving a 15-year-old girl. He also admitted to breaching his sexual offences prevention order by contacting a person under 16 and accessing the internet unlawfully.

Further investigations revealed that in October 2007, police raided Donaldson’s residence and discovered a cache of over 4,500 indecent images and videos of children, some classified in the most serious categories. Evidence also indicated that he had shared these images with other paedophiles, highlighting a disturbing network of online abuse. It was during this investigation that his interactions with six young girls from the North East, Yorkshire, and Gwent, Wales, were uncovered, leading to his initial imprisonment.

In April 2009, Donaldson was sentenced for similar offenses, including posing as a schoolboy to lure and exploit young girls online. His actions involved befriending vulnerable girls, sending sexually explicit messages, and encouraging them to perform sex acts. He was also found to have purchased a DVD containing child pornography, which contributed to his lifetime registration as a sex offender and a ban from working with children.

Despite his incarceration, Donaldson’s criminal activities persisted, and he was released earlier this year under strict conditions. His recent guilty plea and the subsequent sentencing reflect the ongoing threat he poses to minors and the community at large. Authorities remain vigilant, and Donaldson’s case underscores the critical need for continued monitoring and preventative measures against online sexual predators.