Bradford man jailed for six years for sexual offences against children

Nathan Roe, of Tyersal Close, Tyersal, Bradford, was remanded in HMP Doncaster after committing the offences shortly after receiving a community order at Leeds Crown Court for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Prosecutor Matthew Bean told Bradford Crown Court that Roe chatted to a police officer acting as a decoy by posing as a child aged 12. He also admitted making indecent images.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed at Leeds but shortly after that, Roe was caught on monitoring software engaging in sexualised conversation with two underage teenagers.

Mr Bean said he denied the offences but pleaded guilty to a series of charges after a trial date was fixed for January this year.

The offences included causing a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual communication with a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Mr Bean said Roe met the first child, a stranger to him, and they messaged on social media and communicated on video calls.

Roe asked the child if they would have sex with him.

The child sent him an indecent photograph of themself and Roe committed a sex act during a video call to the child.

Mr Bean said Roe was 20 at the time and he knew the child’s age.

He talked about sex with the second child on the internet and wanted to meet up to have sex with them.

Roe made no comment when interviewed by the police.

His barrister, Caroline Abraham, said there was another side to him. He was an intelligent young man who had been a university student at Leeds when remanded into custody eight months ago.

He had attained enhanced status in the prison and was keen to attend courses and programmes to develop an insight into his offending behaviour.

Miss Abraham said Roe lacked maturity and was inexperienced about relationships.

He recognised that he had a sexual interest in children and his probation report ‘made concerning reading.’ Roe would be subject to stringent licence conditions, the Sexual Harm Prevention Order and the sex offender notification rules after serving his prison sentence, Miss Abraham said.

Recorder Paul Reid, sitting at Teesside Crown Court today, sentenced Roe on a video link to Bradford Crown Court.

He said the probation report stated that Roe had an unhealthy interest in children and little insight into the damage his offending had caused. He posed a very high risk of causing serious harm to children in the future.

Roe was labelled a public danger and sentenced to an extended prison term totalling ten years, six years in jail with a four-year extended licence period.