Leeds Man Jailed for Five Years for Child Sex Offences

A predator from Leeds who trawled the internet for like-minded parents to abuse their children has been jailed for five years.

Connor Churchill, 24, admitted two counts of arranging a child sex offence and was found guilty of three counts of making indecent images of child abuse after police discovered the images on his phone.

The court heard that Churchill contacted two undercover police officers posing as parents on messaging services Kik and Snapchat. He expressed a desire to abuse their children or watch them being abused. Churchill even arranged to meet one officer at a service station on the M62, claiming he wanted to abuse their eight-year-old niece. However, he made excuses to avoid the meeting.

Prosecutor Ayman Khokhar told the court that Churchill initiated contact in July 2022, stating he was looking for people with similar sexual interests. He admitted to preferring girls aged between six and 14 but was open to other ages.

Churchill was arrested in October 2022 and his mobile phone was seized. It contained five category A images (the most serious), one category B image, and six category C images. Despite the evidence, Churchill continued to deny any sexual interest in children.

In mitigation, Celine Kart argued that Churchill had backed out of the planned meetings and expressed remorse for his actions. She claimed he was ashamed and sought help for his behavior.

Judge Andrew Stubbs KC considered Churchill's remorse, lack of previous convictions, and his decision to avoid the meetings. However, he sentenced him to five years in prison, issued a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), and placed him on the sex offender register for life.