Yorkshire sex offender sent back to jail after posing as a woman to talk to vulnerable teenage girl

Two years ago Aaron Weatherill, of Bramley, Leeds was jailed for four years at Leeds Crown Court for a variety of offences including sexual activity with a girl under 16.

As part of his sentence the now 24-year-old was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order which imposed restrictions on his contact with under 16s and also banned him from posting any sexual photographs of himself online.

After being released on prison licence Weatherill, of Park Close, started communicating with a 'naive' 19-year-old woman over social media, but after they twice met up in Halifax she eventually cut contact with the defendant because he revealed his previous offending.

Bradford Crown Court heard today that in April Weatherill adopted the identity of a female and started messaging the same woman again.

Prosecutor Philip Adams said it was during this messaging that Weatherill sent the teenager two photographs of himself lying on his bed with his genitals exposed.

After the teenager became suspicious the police arrested Weatherill at his home and seized two mobile phones which revealed that he had been involved in similar conversations with other females whose identities were unknown.

Weatherill, who has now been recalled to prison, appeared via a video link before the Recorder of Bradford Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC and was sentenced to two years in jail after he admitted breaching the terms of the sexual harm prevention order.

The judge said Weatherill's offending had been very serious and deliberate and his victim had clearly been traumatised.

"You were on licence, shortly after release, and you've demonstrated that you cannot and will not control your compulsion," the judge told Weatherill.

"These are not victimless crimes and the impact is self evident."