'Dangerous' convicted Leeds paedophile pretended to be boy and sent sex pics to 'underage girl'
A pervert who continues to claim he is not attracted to children was caught sending vile sex pictures to what he thought was a teenage girl.
Philip Clark was already on a suspended sentence and subject to sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to allow his internet use to be monitored, but could not resist his sickening urges.
He was given an extended sentence at Leeds Crown Court this week after the judge deemed him a danger to children.
The 43-year-old logged online claiming to be a 15-year-old boy, and began making explicit suggestions to a girl aged 14.
But he had no idea that the profile was run by a paedophile hunter group who reeled him in.
The court heard that in December last year Clark sent the profile images of his penis and asked for pictures of her genitals in return.
He encouraged her to masturbate and sent her pornographic videos, saying he wanted sex with her.
The hunter group went to his home address to confront him where he was arrested.
He appeared in court this week over a video link from HMP Leeds.
He admitted breaching his existing SHPO, attempting to incite a child into sexual activity, attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity.
Clark, formerly of Yeadon and Hunslet, but now of no fixed address, was previously given a 12-month suspended sentence for similar offending, but has breached his SHPO twice since.
Mitigating, Brogan Riley said that Clark still refused to accept his interest in children.
She said there was “deep-seated shame” and “struggled to come to terms with it”.
She said he suffered abuse from his father as a child, and his mother died in 2024 who “was his only friend”.
Ms Riley said it had started him drinking again.
Judge Howard Crowson gave Clark an extended eight-year jail sentence, made up of four years’ jail with a four-year extended licence period.
He was put on the sex offender register for life, and he was given a new lifelong SHPO.