LEEDS EX-CLUB DJ GLEN BATTENSBY CAUGHT TRYING TO MEET BOYS FOR SEXUAL ACTS IN ACOMB AND HARROGATE
In a disturbing case that has shocked the community, Glen Battensby, a 62-year-old former long-serving DJ from Leeds, was caught attempting to engage in illegal sexual activities with minors.The incident unfolded in August 2020, when Battensby was found waiting outside the Morrison’s supermarket in Acomb, a suburb of York, holding a packet of Haribo sweets and chocolates, seemingly expecting to meet a 12-year-old boy for sexual purposes.
Unbeknownst to him, the individual he believed he was meeting was actually an undercover police officer posing as a young boy on the internet.
The police had been monitoring Battensby’s online activities and had set up a sting operation to catch him in the act.
When he arrived at the designated meeting spot, officers arrested him immediately.
During a search of his phone, detectives uncovered evidence of a prior arrangement made a few days earlier in Harrogate, where Battensby had planned to meet someone claiming to be a 15-year-old boy for sexual activity.
York Crown Court heard that Battensby believed he was about to carry out a sexual encounter with a minor, but he was unaware that the person he was communicating with was an officer.
His online conversations and plans revealed a disturbing pattern of intent, with attempts to meet and engage in sexual acts with minors.
Glen Battensby, who has a history as a club DJ in Leeds, faced serious charges.
He pleaded guilty to multiple counts, including two charges of attempting to meet a child for sexual activity, two counts of sexual communication with a child, and attempting to incite a child to perform a sex act.
These offences spanned from February 27 to March 13 of that year.
In sentencing, the court handed Battensby a prison term of three and a half years.
Additionally, he was placed on the sex offenders register for life, subjected to a sexual harm prevention order, and permanently barred from working with children.
The case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat online grooming and protect minors from exploitation, especially in communities like Leeds and surrounding areas.
