Man sentenced for child sex offences and indecent images

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 14:58 · Archive

Leigh Brown, 43, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison, suspended for 18 months, for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and possessing indecent images.

Leigh Brown, 43, of Badminton Road in Jaywick, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on October 8 after being found guilty of three counts of making indecent images of a child and one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. He received a two-year-three-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

Brown had contacted a decoy account on Grindr that appeared to belong to a 15-year-old boy. The conversation quickly became sexual, with Brown asking the boy if he would meet people offline. He then provided his phone number and continued the conversation on WhatsApp, where he requested explicit images and again proposed meeting up.

Brown was arrested in April 2018 at his former home in Haverhill after police received information from a member of the public about suspected online sexual communication with children. Officers searched his property and seized multiple devices.

The devices contained indecent images of children across four of them, totalling more than 250 images and videos. These comprised 10 category A images, 18 category A videos, 72 category B images, 26 category B videos, 130 category C images, and 1 category C image.

Detective Constable Tina Kitley-Sparks from the Safeguarding Investigation Unit said: 'Although thankfully a decoy account, Brown attempted to prey on what he believed was a child. The conversation quickly became sexual, with Brown asking the boy if he would meet people offline. He then gave the boy his phone number and continued the conversation on WhatsApp, where he asked for explicit images and again asked about meeting up.'

How it is being reported

• Paedophile who is a 'risk to children' sentencedOn October 8, Leigh Brown, 43, received a suspended sentence for messaging a Grindr decoy posing as a 15-year-old boy and possessing child indecent images.Echo (Basildon) · 13 Oct, 14:25
• Paedophile who is a 'risk to children' sentencedOn October 8, Leigh Brown, 43, received a suspended sentence for messaging a Grindr decoy posing as a 15-year-old boy and possessing child indecent images.Colchester Gazette · 13 Oct, 14:25
• Paedophile who is a 'risk to children' sentencedOn October 8, Leigh Brown, 43, received a suspended sentence for messaging a Grindr decoy posing as a 15-year-old boy and possessing child indecent images.Brentwood Guardian · 13 Oct, 14:25

In this story: Leigh Brown · Ipswich Crown Court · Jaywick · Haverhill · Grindr · Safeguarding Investigation Unit

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