Halloween horror as convicted paedophile took children trick-or-treating in Leeds despite strict ban

Martin McIntyre was given a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) in 2018 banning him from unsupervised contact with youngsters.

But the 33-year-old was arrested following a string of concerning incidents involving children near to where he lives on Woodnook Drive, Cookridge.

Leeds Crown Court heard that McIntyre, originally from Lancashire, had moved to the Leeds area having been hounded out by the community across the Pennines due to his offending.

He breached the SHPO four times while living in Leeds, between June and December last year, prosecutor Hafsah Hussain told the court.

He would often speak to a neighbour’s children through the fence and would give them gifts and telling them he would buy them scooters for Christmas. It was only after the worried mother Googled his name that she found that he had been convicted of sexual activity with a child.

Another neighbour said they saw McIntyre being “overly friendly” with another child and was stroking her cheek.

On October 28 he went trick-or-treating with two children who were from foster care and did so without any adult supervision. Finally, he invited a grandmother to his home with her grandchildren for bonfire night. The woman was also unaware of his SHPO.

He was arrested and admitted the four breaches of his SHPO. He appeared in court via video link from HMP Leeds where he has been held on remand since his arrest.

McIntyre, a gardener, was jailed in 2018 and given the SHPO for sexual activity with a young teenager. He breached the SHPO before in 2019 in the Forth Valley area of Scotland, when again he had unsupervised access to a child.

Mitigating for his latest breaches, Christopher Morton said there was no suggestion that there was any sexual contact with the children.

Mr Morton said: “He says there was no risk to any of the children he was speaking with, but does accept it beached the order.”

Judge Ray Singh jailed him for 40 months and said: “It [the SHPO] has not stopped you offending. You are prohibited from contact. I find you have an unhealthy interest in children. I’m afraid you simply won’t stop.”