'Predatory' Leeds paedophile sent pictures of his penis to young boys and asked to 'see their nipples'

Nathan Belsham, 38, of Clyde Grange in New Wortley, was sentenced over 25 charges at Leeds Crown Court today (September 4), all of which he pleaded guilty to.

They included engaging in sexual communications with a child, making indecent images of a child, attempting to meet a child and 11 charges of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

The “dangerous” offender was jailed for eight years and placed on licence for a further seven years.

The offending was split into three cases, the first of which related to information that was found on Belsham’s phone after he was arrested on July 5 last year on suspicion of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

For the prosecution, Alisha Kaye said that police discovered sexually-explicit chats on the phone with a number of boys who told Belsham that they were under the age of 16. Some said they were as young as 11.

Belsham sent various messages to the boys asking to see their nipples, smack their bottoms and saying he would “love to meet them”. He had also sent pictures of his penis and audio messages saying “what he wanted to do to them”.

The second set of offences - which included attempting to meet a boy under the age of 16 after grooming - related to a conversation that Belsham had with an undercover police officer who was posing as a child named ‘Jake’.

He was on bail for the previous set of offences when he began talking online with the decoy, who told Belsham that he was 12-years-old, in January this year.

Belsham asked to see ‘Jake’ naked during the chat, asked him to masturbate and “said that he looked sexy and that he loved him”. He also sent pictures of his penis.

Ms Kaye said: “The defendant asked if he was up for a sex session (sic) and if he loved him.”

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Belsham then arranged to meet up with ‘Jake’ and arrived at Leeds City Station, where police officers were waiting and he was arrested.

The third set of charges relate to a conversation, with another male child, was discovered on Belsham’s phone after the arrest.

The boy had told Belsham that he was under 16 and the two exchanged pictures of themselves.

The child was then interviewed and told police that he stopped speaking with Belsham but that he “kept contacting him” and approached him on social media using three separate accounts “to try and track him down”.

The court heard that Belsham has a long history of offences dating back to 1998, when he was first cautioned over an indecent assault. Over the subsequent years, he received further convictions for sexual harassment, indecent assault and indecent exposure and repeatedly breached sexual harm prevention orders. His latest conviction came in September 2023, when he was sentenced to a community order for making indecent images of children.

For the defence, Martin Morrow said that his mitigation was “limited” and that Belsham was “entirely realistic” about the fact that he would likely receive a lengthy prison sentence.

He said Belsham was abused as a child and that he has learning difficulties.

Sentencing Belsham over the “troubling and complicated set of offences”, Judge Andrew Stubbs KC said the pre-sentence report made for “depressing reading”.

Judge Stubbs said: “You are sexually preoccupied. You are a manipulative and predatory offender and there is nothing that the probation service can do to help you.

“You are unable to accept your sexual attraction to children and you are unable to control yourself and prevent yourself from committing these offences.”

The author of the report wrote that Belsham was “dangerous” and poses a “significant risk of causing serious harm in the future”.

Judge Stubbs added: “That is a conclusion I share.”

Belsham was jailed for eight years, of which he will serve two thirds in prison before being considered for release. He was also ordered to serve an additional seven years on licence.