BRISTOL MAN LEIGHTON GENT SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES AND ONLINE ABUSE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Bristol, Leighton Gent, a 28-year-old resident of the city, has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term after a series of heinous online offences involving children. The case came to light after authorities uncovered a pattern of disturbing digital activity, which included Gent sending explicit images of himself to minors and actively seeking indecent images in return.

Gent’s arrest took place at his home in the Bedminster area of Bristol in July 2024. The operation was carried out by officers from the Internet Child Abuse Team, who had received credible information indicating that Gent had uploaded indecent images of children to the internet. Further investigations revealed that Gent had engaged in sexual communications with minors under the age of 15, raising serious concerns about his predatory behavior.

Following a forensic analysis of Gent’s electronic devices, authorities discovered that he had used multiple online platforms to communicate sexually with dozens of children from various parts of the world. Despite being aware that these children were underage, Gent continued his illicit activities unabated. The investigation also uncovered that Gent possessed more than 5,000 indecent images and videos, which included categories of extreme and prohibited material.

During court proceedings, Gent pleaded guilty to a total of 15 charges, which included attempts to engage in sexual communication with minors, possession of indecent images, and distribution of such material. Specifically, he admitted to four counts of attempting to communicate sexually with a child, three counts of making indecent images—covering categories A through C—and three counts of distributing indecent images across the same categories. Additionally, Gent pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, possession of extreme pornographic images, possession of prohibited images of children, and arranging or facilitating a child sexual offence.

In total, Gent’s guilty plea encompassed 15 offences, with prosecutors also requesting that 29 further counts related to attempts at sexual communication be taken into consideration during sentencing. The court sentenced Gent last week to a term of six years and eight months in prison. Furthermore, he was placed under an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, which aims to restrict his access to minors and prevent any further harm.

Leighton Gent’s case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies in Bristol and beyond to combat online child exploitation and protect vulnerable minors from predators. His sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the serious consequences faced by those who engage in such criminal activities.