Reticent Leeds paedophile spared jail then discussed 'sharing' child with dad in vile online chat
A paedophile who denied he was interested in children and spared jail, was later caught discussing his fantasies online.
Leeds Crown Court heard that James Clift had “lost everything” since he was convicted in December of last year of trying to entice a 13-year-old girl into sexual talks.
He was given a community order and given a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) designed to curb his internet use.
But the 36-year-old pervert failed to control his urges and in August found a website for like-minded deviants where he appealed to anyone to swap messages and photos.
He chillingly said he “wanted to meet a dad willing to share [their child]”. But like his previous offending, it was an undercover officer looking to snare peadophiles who answered his call.
In a private chat with the officer, Clift told him he had a sexual interest in “young daughters”.
Clift said he was married with a daughter, which was not true, and said he had abused his niece, which was also a lie.
The officer told him he had a nine-year-old daughter, which Clift then said he wanted to abuse, and he discussed meeting in a hotel.
Clift sent pictures of his penis and asked for pictures of the girl. The officer continued to make contact thereafter but Clift did not reply, prosecutor Robert Galley told the court.
However, they were able to trace him to his home on Bolton Court, Seacroft, and seized his mobile phone, which helped confirm it was his account.
He appeared in court this week via video link from HMP Leeds, where he was being held on remand.
He admitted five counts of breaching his SHPO. A sixth offence of arranging a child-sex offence was not pursued, but will remain on file.
Mitigating, Stephen Smithson said Clift’s offending was a “carbon copy” of his previous conviction.
He said that Clift had then ignored the officer’s attempts to continue the conversations, which he said pointed to it being a fantasy, rather than a reality.
He said Clift had hit “rock bottom”, having lost his job and his credibility. He said he was scholar of economics and had a good job until his previous offending came to light.
Judge Richard Mansell KC told Clift: “It might be that you are playing out sexual fantasies, rather than planning to abuse a child.”
He jailed him for 12 months and put him on the sex offender register for 10 years. His five-year SHPO will continue.