Paedophile had sex with 14-year-old boy and distributed indecent images of the victim online

Joshua Doyle also made contact with what he believed were two underage boys online after he was released under investigation over the sex offences.

Leeds Crown Court heard Doyle made contact with the 14-year-old victim on social media in in 2018.

Bashir Ahmed, prosecuting, said Doyle arranged to met the boy in north Leeds and they had sex.

Police were contacted after the boy later sent indecent images of himself to Doyle on Facebook.

Doyle was arrested and claimed he believed the boy was aged 16 years old.

It was then discovered that Doyle had distributed the images of the boy to two other teenagers.

Further indecent images were found on the devices.

A total of 66 images were at category A - the most serious level of offending.

Doyle was released on bail pending further investigation but was arrested again in April 2019.

The Yorkshire and Humber Regional Crime Unit contacted West Yorkshire Police after Doyle made contact with two undercover officers posing as 14-year-old boys.

Doyle made contact with one of the 'boys' online and asked him for nude images.

The defendant then made arrangements to meet the second youngster.

Doyle was arrested on June 5, 2019, as he was about to make the journey, believing he was going to meet the youth.

Doyle, of Hunsworth Lane, Braford, pleaded guilty to inciting a boy under 16 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch an image of sexual activity, possessing an indecent image of a child and two counts of distributing an indecent image of a child.

Satpal Roth-Sharma, mitigating, said Doyle pleaded guilty to the offences at an early stage and was sorry for what he had done.

The barrister said: "He accepts that he is a regular cocaine user and his sexual urges caused a short term lack of control of his thinking."

Sentencing, Judge Mushtaq Khokhar said: "Only a custodial sentence can be justified for the protection of young people."