SEX OFFENDER WHO TRIED TO ENROL IN SCHOOL JAILED
A 21-year-old man has been sentenced to prison after sending explicit images to three young girls and attempting to enroll in a school.Anthony Lonsdale was detained in March 2022 after he impersonated a 14-year-old and tried to register at a school near Ilkeston, according to police reports.
He communicated with a girl in Derbyshire and two others in Nottinghamshire through inappropriate messages and explicit photos.
Lonsdale, who resides on Uxendon Crescent in Wembley, received a seven-year prison term at Nottingham Crown Court on January 19.
Derbyshire Constabulary revealed that Lonsdale, then 20, appeared dressed in school attire as he arrived at a school intending to meet a teenage girl with whom he had been communicating online.
He created multiple fake profiles across social media platforms including Snapchat, Instagram, and WhatsApp, initially presenting himself as a teenage girl named Tia, the police explained.
He engaged the girl in conversation, persuading her to add another fictitious profile Tia's 12-year-old brother, Sam.
Over a period of several weeks, he maintained contact with the girl and eventually sent her sexually explicit images.
Further investigations allowed officers to identify two more girls from Nottinghamshire who had been contacted under different false identities.
Lonsdale admitted to charges of grooming, engaging in sexual communication, and producing indecent images.
He was sentenced to seven years in prison, with an additional three years on extended licence.
