LEICESTER MAN JAILED FOR GROOMING TEEN IN BEESTON STING

A sex offender named Neil Spencer, aged 45, from Falmouth Drive in Wigston, Leicester, has been sentenced to two years in prison for attempting to groom a 14-year-old boy online and arranging to meet him in Beeston for sexual activity. The court heard how Spencer engaged in online conversations with a fictional profile called 'Josh,' created by a group called Stop UK to catch offenders. He initially discussed innocent topics but then moved to sexual topics, including questions about pain during sex. Spencer agreed to meet 'Josh' at Subway in Beeston on April 2, but was intercepted by the paedophile hunters and the police were called. Spencer pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a boy under 16 following sexual grooming. The judge, Michael Auty KC, described the case as a serious violation of the law designed to protect children and emphasized the risk posed when someone makes arrangements to meet a minor for sex. Spencer was also handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and was placed on the sex offender register for 10 years. The court noted he had no previous convictions, and mitigation explained that Spencer had been lonely and isolated after a breakup, which contributed to his actions.