Leeds stalker sent Snapchat messages threatening to rape schoolgirl and post images of her online unless she complied with his sexual demands

Sam Powell was jailed for three years after a court how he threatened to post intimate images of the victim and commit acts of sexual violence against her.

The 25-year-old also tried to derail a police investigation by claiming he had been "fitted up" by a phone hacker after he was arrested.

Kate Bisset, prosecuting, said Powell made contact with the victim on Snapchat in August 2016 and told her he was aged 15.

Ms Bisset said the conversation between them was "not out of the ordinary" at first but Powell began to make requests that made the girl uncomfortable.

The defendant asked the girl for intimate pictures of herself which she agreed to send.

Powell's messages then took on a more sinister tone.

The prosecutor said: "The defendant would tell her that bad things would happen if she didn't send them.

"He said he knew where she lived and would come and get her if she didn't, whether she wanted to or not."

Powell then messaged the girl asking to meet her at a hotel and demanded that she have sex with him.

When the girl refused to meet him he threatened to commit an act of sexual violence against her.

Miss Bisset added: "He said he would wait outside her school and get her into a car."

The girl replied to Powell telling him that he had no respect for women.

He replied and said he would get her pregnant and not let her leave to get the morning after pill.

The defendant sent further text and Snapchat messages threatening to rape the girl.

He made 89 phone calls to her phone and threatened to post images online every 15 minutes unless she sent him pictures of herself having sex with another male.

Powell was arrested in March 2017 after West Yorkshire Police were contacted.

He claimed he did not know who the victim was and denied ever asking for pictures of her.

Powell then tried to disrupt the investigation by telling police officers he had received an e-mail from an unidentified man who "set up him."

Police officers went to Powell's home to investigate his claim.

Powell's mother was present when he spoke with the officers and she "had her own concerns" about her son's account.

She challenged him after the officers left the property and Powell admitted telling lies about the e-mail "because he was scared."

His mother then told the police about her son's false claims.

Powell, of Millshaw Road, Beeston,, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, two of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, stalking and doing an act intending to pervert the course of justice.

The court heard Powell has one previous conviction for harassment.

Kate Batty, mitigating, said Powell was 20 at the time of the offending.

The barrister asked Recorder Dapinder Singh to take the delay of more than four years in the case coming before the court into account when sentencing.

Ms Batty described her client as being "childlike".

She added that the defendant had had problems with his mental and physical health.

Ms Batty said: "His is an immature and socially isolated young man who was simply unable to interact with people and had no control over anything.

"This to him was an unsophisticated way of imposing that control."

Recorder Singh said the offending was too serious to impose anything other than an immediate prison sentence.

Powell was told he must also go on the sex offender register indefinitely.