Six years for sex offender who shared abuse images

A sex offender who distributed graphic images of child abuse online has been jailed for six years.

Lee Maidens, from Doncaster, was communicating online with an adult and discussed committing offences against their 10-year-old child, South Yorkshire Police said.

Maidens, 44, of Brabbs Avenue, sent explicit images to the profile between 3 September 2024 and 3 October 2024.

At Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday, he was jailed after admitting offences including arranging or facilitating the commission of a sexual offence against a child under 13.

Maidens sent a number of indecent videos to the profile, showing victims as young as 11 months old being abused, police said.

Officers searched his home in October last year after receiving information he had been involved in online child sex offences.

Maidens also admitted attempting to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity and two counts of distributing indecent images of children.

At sentencing, Judge Rachael Harrison noted Maidens' offending only stopped after he was arrested, tell him: "You are, by any view, dangerous."

Sam Musgrove, lead investigating officer, described Maidens' offences as "vile" and noted he refused to give any comment in his police interview.

"We will act on intelligence to bring offenders to justice and protect children online," she said.

Maidens was jailed for six years with an extended licence period of four years.

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