Leeds pervert who wanted sex with 14-year-old Facebook boy ironically warned him about strangers
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Steven Hall latched onto the profile of the 14-year-old, but had no idea it was a decoy run by an online groups looking to snare perverts.
Hall was given a suspended sentence at Leeds Crown Court after admitting attempted sexual communication with a child. Bizarrely, 44-year-old Hall continues to claim he has no sexual interest in children and is heterosexual.
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The court was told that Hall, of Recreation Place, Holbeck, reached out to the profile on April 13 this year which was set up by Stop UK.
Despite telling Hall he was only 14, Hall told the boy that he wanted to be his friend, and they initially discussed “mundane” topics.
Hall told him he was looking for a new boyfriend, and when the boy told him he was going to meet someone from online, Hall told him to be careful when meeting strangers.
Over the space of a fortnight, Hall bombarded him with compliments, telling him he was “beautiful”, “sweet” and “hot” and asked him to be his boyfriend. He then moved to discussing sex and asked if there was anywhere they could meet, with the boy telling him he lived in Nottingham.
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Hide AdHall told him he wanted the boy to trust him and wanted to make him feel safe. He was eventually approached by the hunter group who livestreamed the confrontation on the internet. Hall was subsequently arrested.
During his police interview he admitted the conversations but said he thought the boy was around 18, judging by the photos he saw of him.
He has three previous convictions but none for sexual offending. Mitigating, Andrew Semple said the comments he made to the supposed boy were “unpleasant but not overtly sexual” compared to many often heard in court.
He said of Hall: “He is an isolated individual. He has never himself ever had any relationship. He lives alone and has very little contact with his family.”
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Hide AdHe said Hall’s life was “though his screen” and there was “never any real chance” of a meeting ever taking place.
He said due to the public nature of his arrest, Hall feels unable to return to his home address. He has been held on remand since his arrest and appeared in court via video link from HMP Lincoln.
Judge Geoffrey Marson KC told him: “It’s clear there was an element of grooming. You were flattering him.
“It went on over a period of about two weeks, fortunately, there was no child.”
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Hide AdHe gave him a nine-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered him to enrol on a 43-session sex-offending programme. He was also given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to limit his internet use and put on the sex offender register.