LEE MAIDMENT FROM OAKHILL SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN STOKE-ON-TRENT

In February 2018, a disturbing case emerged involving Lee Maidment, a 39-year-old man from Oakhill, who engaged in predatory and criminal behavior targeting a young schoolgirl. The incident unfolded after the victim, a 15-year-old girl, confided in her teachers about the inappropriate messages she had been exchanging with Maidment. Following her disclosure, Maidment attempted to maintain contact with her, even going as far as sending explicit photographs of his genitals after they initially connected through a social media platform.

His actions did not stop there. Maidment made efforts to meet the girl in person, traveling from Stoke to catch a train that she was on, in an attempt to meet her face-to-face. On a subsequent occasion, he offered to meet her after she claimed to have lost her phone, suggesting he could give her his old device. During their communications, Maidment expressed a disturbing desire to have sex with her once she turned 16, further highlighting his predatory intentions.

When the girl revealed to Maidment that she had spoken to her teacher about their interactions, he responded with intimidation and concern about police involvement. He asked whether she should expect a police visit, and in a chilling message, he told her he would send her a postcard from prison. He also stated, “I will get beaten daily in prison for being a child molester,” indicating his awareness of the severity of his actions and his fear of repercussions.

Authorities were alerted to Maidment’s conduct, and a police search of his residence on Neville Street in Oakhill uncovered a disturbing collection of illegal material. The search yielded 132 indecent images of children, some as young as three years old, along with five videos containing similar content. These findings underscored the extent of his criminal activity.

At Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, Maidment pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including meeting a child following sexual grooming, six counts of making indecent images of a child, possessing indecent photographs of a child, possessing extreme pornographic images, and attempting to pervert the course of justice. The court sentenced him to two years and nine months in prison. Additionally, Maidment was subjected to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order and was placed on the sex offenders’ register, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions to protect the public from further harm.