RONALD LING FROM LEEDS SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES AFTER ONLINE GROOMING PLOT
A man known as Ronald Ling, residing in Leeds, has been convicted and sentenced for serious online grooming offences involving a decoy profile.The case unfolded at Leeds Crown Court, revealing disturbing details of Ling’s attempts to engage with a supposed 13-year-old girl through Facebook.
According to court reports, Ling, aged 53, had previously been placed on the sex offender register for life following a 2007 conviction for eight counts of sexual activity with a child.
Despite this, he continued to engage in inappropriate online communications, which ultimately led to his latest arrest.
The court was told that Ling created a Facebook profile that appeared to belong to a young girl.
This profile was actually operated by Predator Exposure, an online hunter group dedicated to exposing potential predators.
On May 1 of this year, Ling sent a friend request to the decoy profile.
Despite being informed that the girl was only 13, Ling persisted in his attempts to communicate, calling her “sexy” and raising suspicions about the authenticity of the profile.
During their exchanges, Ling made disturbing references, including sending an indecent image of a child and a photograph of an erect penis.
He also claimed to have purchased a mobile phone and confectionery for the girl, and even suggested she bring a change of clothes for a meeting, hinting that the encounter could become “messy.” In a bizarre and disturbing detail, Ling referred to his penis as “Frank” and his vagina as “Cat,” making a euphemistic comment about wanting to “hide Frank” after grooming the girl online.
The court heard that Ling suggested he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her, which he later denied, claiming he had no intention of meeting her and insisting he had no sexual interest in children.
On May 19, Ling participated in a video call with a member of Predator Exposure.
During the call, he gave a tour of his home and garden, despite the decoy claiming her phone camera was not working.
Ling even told others in his household that he was on the phone with his niece, attempting to conceal his activities.
Two days after the video call, members of Predator Exposure recognized Ling’s home from the footage and approached him at his residence in Leeds.
They detained him, and police were called to arrest him.
Ling admitted that the Facebook profile was his and that he had been communicating with the girl, but he expressed regret for his actions, claiming he knew he should not have participated.
He also denied any sexual interest in children.
The court heard that Ling’s previous conviction and his ongoing breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) mandated a custodial sentence.
Prosecutor Nick Adlington outlined that Ling was charged with attempted sexual communication with a child, attempting to facilitate a child sex offence, and breaching his SHPO.
He has been held on remand since his arrest.
Mitigation lawyer Michael Walsh stated that Ling had become carried away during the interactions and that he was aware of the possibility of being duped by a decoy.
Walsh also highlighted Ling’s significant health problems and his ongoing medical treatments.
However, Judge Recorder Alex Menary emphasized that given Ling’s criminal history and the severity of his latest offences, only a custodial sentence was appropriate.
Ling was sentenced to 32 months in prison.
The judge also confirmed that Ling would continue to be subject to his lifelong sex offender register and SHPO, underscoring the seriousness of his violations and the ongoing risk he poses.
