Paid to watch children be sexually abused in the Philippines.

76-Year-Old Man Jailed for Paying to Watch Child Abuse in the Philippines

Leslie Fletcher, 76, of Brancepeth Close, Washington, has been sentenced to five years and nine months in prison for requesting and viewing indecent photographs and videos of babies and children online. The crimes were committed in the Philippines.

Fletcher's offenses were uncovered after Google and Microsoft flagged the sharing of indecent images. Northumbria Police's Paedophile Online Investigation Team (Polit) seized Fletcher's devices and found receipts and records of calls with individuals who were abusing children.

Fletcher pleaded guilty to 14 charges, including making indecent images of children, arranging the commission of child sex offences, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity. Seven of these charges related to Fletcher arranging the abuse of children abroad.

Detective Constable Rob Smoult of Northumbria Police stated that Fletcher's sentence sends a clear message: "Offending like this will not be tolerated and that people like Fletcher are not welcome in our communities." He added that Fletcher "knew he had no excuse and was left with no choice but to admit his guilt."

In addition to his prison sentence, Fletcher was issued with a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register.