Luton pervert Nathaniel Leather jailed for child porn offences and messaging children online

Nathaniel Leather, 24, was sentenced at Luton Crown Court today after being found guilty of the charges.

Leather, of Hillcroft Close, will also be the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for five years, which has conditions attached that he must adhere to following his release.

On his arrest, his phone was seized and officers downloaded more than 2,000 images – including some of the most serious category.

DC Katie Robinson from Bedfordshire Police’s Emerald team, said: “This is a great result as online grooming is a very real threat and something which we are working incredibly hard to tackle.

“Offenders target young children for their own sexual gratification, and following grooming they arrange to meet their victims in real life. Their intention is to sexually abuse children.

“He was also found guilty of viewing and possessing a number of indecent images of children. This is not a victimless crime and causes real harm to the children, which is made even worse with every share of the image.

“This is a reminder of just how important it is that we educate children on the dangers of social media and how they can protect themselves online.

Parents can visit the Parents Protect website, which is run by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, for lots of useful resources to help prevent child sexual abuse. It also contains a list of organisations and resources focusing on keeping children safe in the digital world.

The NSPCC Share Aware website also contains advice and tips about how children can keep themselves safe online.

If you have been affected by child sexual abuse, the Signpost Hub offers free and confidential support to victims in Bedfordshire, whether it has been reported to police or not and irrespective of where and when the crime occurred. Contact 0800 0282887 or visit www.signpostforbedfordshire.com for further information.

To report concerns around child sexual abuse, including the viewing and sharing of indecent images, call Bedfordshire Police on 101.