RICHARD LEIGHFIELD JAILED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES IN WORCESTER

A man from Worcester has been sentenced to a 30-month prison term after being found guilty of multiple serious sexual offences. Richard Leighfield, aged 53 and residing at Home Meadow in Worcester, appeared before Worcester Crown Court on January 23rd, where he received his sentence.

Leighfield had previously entered a guilty plea in December 2024 to a series of disturbing charges. These included attempting to persuade or incite a girl aged between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to communicate sexually with a minor via online channels, and making three indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child. Additionally, he was convicted of possessing a prohibited image of a child, further compounding the severity of his crimes.

As part of his sentencing, Leighfield was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, a measure designed to monitor and restrict his activities moving forward. He was also issued a sexual harm prevention order, which imposes restrictions aimed at preventing any future offending behavior.

The arrest of Leighfield took place in August 2024, following an investigation into his online activities. Authorities uncovered that he had engaged in sexual conversations with what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, operating through an online profile. These conversations, which occurred between July 30th and August 20th, involved Leighfield instructing the minor to perform sexual acts on herself and encouraging her to watch and participate in sexual activities.

During the police search of his device, officers discovered a collection of indecent images that Leighfield had created. The images were categorized into different levels of severity, with one classified as Category A—the most serious—eight as Category B, and ten as Category C. These images depicted children in various states of sexual exploitation, highlighting the disturbing nature of his actions.

Detective Constable Giuseppe Saladino, a member of West Mercia Police’s Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team (OCSET), commented on the case: “Leighfield demonstrated predatory behavior towards children and was responsible for creating horrific images. Fortunately, his activities were intercepted through an online profile, but this does not diminish the gravity of his offences. We remain committed to protecting children and young people from harm by bringing predators like Leighfield to justice.”