Reading Magistrates’ Court: Newbury man caught by paedophile hunters
A MAN has been convicted of seven child sex offences.
The 27-year-old from Newbury was caught by so-called online paedophile hunters.
In the dock at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, July 26, was Connor Leighton.
The 27-year-old, who now lives in Orchard Close, Didcot, Oxfordshire, admitted a range of offences involving children, both image-related and involving adult ‘decoys’ who Mr Leighton believed were children.
Specifically, he admitted:
- making five indecent images of children in Category C
- trying to get sexual gratification by trying to communicate with a girl he believed was aged 13
- committing the same offence with a young girl by encouraging her to watch him committing a sex act
- encouraging someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl to send him photos
- trying to engage an underage girl in sexual communication
- trying to engage another underage girl in sexual communication
- possessing prohibited images of children
All the above offences were committed in Newbury between September 13 and September 22, 2021.
Mr Leighton, who was legally represented by Heulwen Leighton, was told that the case was being sent to Reading Crown Court to be sentenced by a judge on a date to be fixed.
He was meanwhile released on unconditional bail.
