'Remorseless' Pontefract paedophile claims police trapped him with online child decoy
A paedophile who tried to groom youngsters online and shared sickening abuse images with others later claimed police had tricked him.
Mark Smith was told he remains “remorseless” for his vile behaviour, having been convicted of similar offences in 2018.
The 44-year-old was jailed at Leeds Crown Court for a catalogue of new offences, including trying to incite children online, which later turned out to be undercover police officers.
He even sent them photos of his erect penis.
Judge Richard Mansell KC told him: “I detect no remorse for your offending.
“You remain convinced you have done nothing wrong, that you were only chatting with adults, not children, that you were engaging in roleplay and that the police were somehow acting unfairly in trapping you.
“You were, and remain, in denial. Whatever work was done with you [previously], plainly had little effect.”
The court heard that Smith contacted what he thought was a 12-year-old girl in June 2023 over the Kik messenger app.
He said: “Hi sexy, how are you?”
Prosecutor Adam Walker said the chat quickly turned sexual, and Smith sent a photo of his penis and told the girl she was “hot”.
Run by an undercover officer, Smith told them he was “serious” but did not think it was possible to meet up.
Four months later he latched onto a decoy profile for another supposed 12-year-old girl. Again, the conversation became sexual and he sent her videos of people having sex, and asked her to masturbate.
He was later arrested at his home on Burntwood Grove, South Kirkby, and internet devices seized.
During his police interview, he claimed he knew it was undercover officers but went along with the fantasy.
A forensic analysis of his devices unearthed more than 500 images and videos of child abuse, ranging from category A - the most serious involving the rape of children - to category B and category C.
It also showed that 28 images, including category A, had been shared with other paedophiles.
Smith, who has been held on remand since November 2023, admitted two counts of attempted sexual communication with children, one of attempting to incite a child to watch sexual activity and one of attempting to incite a child into sexual activity.
He also admitted three counts of making indecent images, three counts of distributing indecent images, and possession of an extreme pornographic image.
The court heard that he had received a two-year community order in 2018 for two counts of attempting to cause a a child to watch a sexual act and one of making indecent images.
He was put on the sex offender register for five years and given a five-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), designed to curb his internet use.
Mitigating for his latest offending, Shila Whitehead said Smith had employment waiting for him on his release and that his family would support him.
She said that he “deeply regrets his actions”.
But Judge Mansell disagreed, jailing him for four years.
He also put him on the sex offender register and gave him a SHPO, both for life.