May 2022

Vile Leeds dad posed as woman and offered children to sexually abuse

A Morley man posed as a woman who was abusing her own children to speak to paedophiles.

Mark Stanley, 57, a staff member at Yorkshire Water, offered the fake children to a man online so he could sexually abuse them.

Unbeknown to sick Stanley, the account he was messaging on social media platform Kik was an undercover officer hoping to snare deviants.

Leeds Crown Court heard on Thursday Stanley, of Roseate Green, sent the messages to an account that was under the name “Nick” on January 19 this year.

Prosecutor Catherine Duffy said he was posing as a woman named “Fiona” and the messages related to the sexual abuse of children.

Ms Duffy said: “Police went to the address where the chat had taken place with an undercover operator. He [Stanley] identified himself as the user. Prior to that he went into the bathroom and took his phone with him. It was seized and downloaded and Kik was identified as being present but had been deleted.”

The court heard Stanley had gone on the app and posed as a 38-year-old mother of two called Fiona and sent a number of messages to “Nick” involving the sexual abuse of children. Ms Duffy said: “It was suggested that Fiona was performing sexual acts on the children and offering her children to Nick to abuse.

“When interviewed, he [Stanley] accepted he was the user and person involved in the chat and admitted sending the messages. He said it was a fantasy and role play and he had no real interest in carrying it out. He admitted deleting Kik when the police came and the chat had been ended by the other person.”

Judge Robin Mairs told Stanley as he sentenced him: “You find yourself in the dock at the Crown court – or any court – for the first time. You posed on the internet under the guise of Fiona and spoken to an undercover operative of sexual fantasies. You delved into the darkest realms of incest. Whatever sparked that, only I suspect you know.

“It has brought considerable shame upon you and has bought, I suspect, the obvious distress and pain to your partner of many years who has had to listen to this. You are the author of your own misfortune.”

The judge made Stanley the subject of a 12-month community order. He must carry out a number of rehabilitation activity requirement days and pay £400 in court costs.