Sheffield: Men admit charges of sex with young boys

Anthony Marsh and Lee Davis appeared before Sheffield Crown Court to face a total of 69 charges against boys, who they had groomed on the internet before meeting in person.

Marsh, 53, and Lee Davis, 39, both admitted conspiracy to commit sexual activity with children and also charges relating to grooming and sexually abusing 10 individual boys, the youngest of whom was 13.

Four of those victims were abused by both defendants.

Although the pair admitted 56 of the charges put before them at Sheffield Crown Court yesterday, they also denied a number of other charges.

A provisional trial date has been fixed for Monday, December 2.

Marsh, a salesman, appeared in a blue shirt in the dock for the 45-minute hearing.

Unemployed Davis appeared by videolink from Doncaster prison wearing a black sports T-shirt.

Marsh, of Menson Drive in Hatfield, near Doncaster, and Davis, of Rowena Road, Conisbrough, near Doncaster, were both remanded in custody.

The pair admitted charges including meeting a child following sexual grooming and sexual activity with a child. They also pleaded guilty to charges of making indecent images of children, relating to filming some of their victims.

Marsh admitted a total of 35 charges, while Davis admitted 21 charges, including one of raping a 13-year-old boy.

Marsh also admitted a series of offences relating to the possession of indecent images of children and extreme pornography.

The court head that the material in question featured sexual activity with an animal

Both defendants admitted a charge of conspiracy to commit sexual activity with children between May 1 2004 and June 4 2013.

Details of that charge involved exchanging contact details of boys they knew to be aged under 16, “in order to facilitate meetings for sexual offences to take place.”