Freed murderer living in Leeds exposed as paedophile in hunter sting

A convicted murderer from Leeds was caught in an online paedophile hunter sting when he sent sexual photos and videos to who he thought was a 13-year-old girl.
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Leeds Crown Court heard 56-year-old Michael Gould of Armley was jailed for life on November 11 1999 for murder and was released on licence on December 11 2017.

Gould sent the girl sexual messages and videos in October and November 2019 before he was confronted by the hunter group, who ive streamed the confrontation on Facebook.

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Prosecutor, Mehran Nassiri said a woman from the Elusive Child Protection Unit posted a fake profile of a 13-year-old girl online in February 2019

Leeds Crown CourtLeeds Crown Court
Leeds Crown Court

Mr Nassiri said Gould contacted the girl via an app and asked how old she was and the girl replied saying she was 13.

Mr Nassiri said Gould contacted her via WhatsApp on October 22 and told her he was watching "daddy porn."

The court heard Gould sent the girl sexually explicit messages along with photographs of his penis and two videos of himself performing solo sexual acts.

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Just before 2pm on November 16 2019, the Elusive Child Protection Unit confronted Gould live on Facebook.

Police were called and Gould was arrested.

Gould, of Theaker Lane, Armley, admitted attempting to cause a child to look at photographs and videos of a person engaged in sexual activity between October 20 and November 17 2019.

He also admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child between the same dates.

Brian Russell, mitigating, said: "He was somewhat lonely. He was very isolated and had no-one to turn to. His family don't really want very much to do with him."

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Jailing Gould for 13 months, Recorder Dapinder Singh told him: "There are a significant number of messages. You also said 'I will have to come over to you sometime. Where are you?'"

Recorder Singh said after he was arrested, Gould told police: "I'm sorry for what I have done. I didn't plan it, it just happened."

Recorder Singh made Gould the subject of a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and said his name will be on the sex offender register for ten years.