'Educated' Leeds pervert targeted young girls over the net

Edward Mordaunt from Beeston was snared by undercover officers after he began conversations with what he assumed was a 12-year-old, then a 14-year-old.

He made sexual suggestions to the eldest girl, sent pictures of his penis and said he wanted to meet up with her.

The 44-year-old, of Fairford Avenue, admitted a charge of sexual communication with a child at Leeds Crown Court.

However the presiding judge, the Recorder of Leeds, Guy Kearl KC said Mordaunt had “sought to minimise” his behaviour by claiming he used chatrooms to escape problems in his life.

He said: “You do not need to engage with female children to achieve that.

"There’s a link to your interest and sexual attraction towards female teenagers.”

He handed him six months’ jail, suspended for two years.

Prosecuting the case, Katherine Robinson said that in February Mordaunt logged into a group chatroom on messenger app Kik called ‘UK Teens are Cool’.

He spoke with the decoy 12-year-old, before sending her private messages describing her as a “little cutie”.

Mordaunt then began a conversation in May with another ‘girl’ who told him she was 14.

The conversation became sexual and he sent her a picture of his genitals.

He admitted it was wrong but suggested meeting her and setting up a ‘sugarbaby’ account to provide her with money.

After his arrest he denied any sexual communication, or claimed he could not remember.

Mitigating, Catherine Silverton said Mordaunt accepted the Crown’s case and had already sought help to address his offending.

She said he had been a hard worker and had a masters degree.

Recorder Kearl told him: “You are an educated man, you knew perfectly well what the charges were facing and you were less than frank with the police.

"But there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.”

He was given 150 hours of unpaid work, 15 rehabilitation days, told the sign the sex offenders register for seven years, and given a seven-year sexual harm prevention order, designed to limit his internet access.

He warned him: “Let me make this very clear, if you fail to comply, you will return to this court and you will go to prison.”