Defiant paedophile groomed '12-year-old boy' who was undercover police officer

Lee Eaglen was found guilty after a trial at Leeds Crown Court of attempting to sexually communicate with a child.

The court heard that 36-year-old Eaglen, who has no previous convictions, had latched onto a boy's profile online in October 2021. However, it was being run by an undercover police officer looking to catch out predators.

He thought the profile belonged to a youngster named "James", and encouraged him to make "communication that was sexual, namely sexual images and text".

Eaglen, of Kingsway, Drighlington, was arrested and charged. Having been found guilty by a jury in July of last year, he returned to court this week to face sentence.

Little mitigation could be said on his behalf by his barrister, Philip Mahoney, because Eaglen continues to deny any wrongdoing. But Mr Mahoney did point out Eaglen's previous good character and that there was not intention to seek a meeting with the supposed boy.

Judge Tahir Khan KC told Eaglen: "You continue to protest your innocence but what makes it serious enough to justify custody in my judgement is the fact you were engaging with a decoy who said more than once that he was 12 years of age.

"It should have not gone any further but there was, over a period of time, interaction. You have been convicted of the offence, but it was an attempt so I have to take this into account."

He gave Eaglen an 18-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, 200 hours of unpaid work, put him on the sex offender register and gave him a sexual harm prevention order - to limit his internet use - for 10 years.