LEEDS PAEDOPHILE HOMELESS AFTER TELLING '12-YEAR-OLD GIRL' TO GO INTO SCHOOL TOILETS TO 'PLAY' WITH HERSELF
A Leeds man is now homeless after he asked a child to send him videos and photos of herself.Simon Weedall, 43, began talking to what he thought was a 12-year-old girl named Holly in October last year on social media sites Kik and WhatsApp.
Holly was in actual fact a police officer working to snare offenders using social media to prey on children for their own sexual gratification.
Prosecutor Bashir Ahmed told Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday: "On 26th October he started chatting to her and she made clear her age.
The conversation became sexualised very quickly and he asked if she was naughty and told her to go into the school toilets to 'play' with herself.
"He requested her to send videos and pictures of her doing acts." The court heard, the chat ended on January 11 this year, and Weedall was arrested by police eight days later on January 19.
The court was told he gave no comment in interview but was charged.
Mitigating, Sean Smith, told the court Weedall, of Burmantofts, cooperated with police, giving them the PIN number to his phone.
Mr Smith said: "He has spent time in prison and knows there is to be a significant period of reflection.
He has been engaging well in education and has completed a number of programmes not limited to first aid, mental health, health education and so on.
"He knows opportunities will be available for him post-sentence to address his offending behaviour.
The commission of these offences means he has lost his accommodation and he is essentially now homeless." His Honour Judge Phillips KC jailed Weedall for two years and ten months and told the court he had pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to communicate with a child at a plea, trial and preparation hearing.
The judge said: "You recognise the need to use the time in custody to good effect...No actual child was involved...That fact means the sentence is different than if you were communicating with a child of that age in real life." Weedall was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and notification requirements until further order is made.
