Online Leeds predator who targeted four girls spared jail to stop him 'mixing' with other paedophiles

Paul Boyeldieu from Leeds was even out on bail, having been snared by hunter groups, when he went back online to continue preying on more young girls – but was again communicating with decoy profiles and arrested again.

He had even latched onto a profile that was run by an undercover officer from Devon and Cornwall Police. He followed similar patterns on each occasion, asking graphically-sexual questions before sending pictures of his genitals or videos of him masturbating.

The 43-year-old admitted six offences during an appearance at Leeds Crown Court this week, including four of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and encouraging a child to engage in sexual activity.

Judge Robin Mairs told him: “You fell prey to a number of online groups. You were addicted to sexual communication with children. I could easily lock you up, you richly deserve it and there are many out there who think I should.

"The only reason I won’t is a fear that if I do lock you up, you would spend your time in custody with other sex offenders – other men with sexual interests in children. The risk is you would come out with more entrenched attitudes than before.

"You are addicted to young girls and have the interests as a paedophile, there’s no question of that.”

Prosecuting the case, Carmel Pearson said Boyeldieu, of Beeston Road, Beeston, was first caught out in February 2019. An online hunter group obtained his address and confronted him after he targeted what he thought was a youngster called ‘Lola’. It then transpired that he was also talking to another fake youngster called ‘Jodie’ run by another group.

But after he was released under investigation, Miss Pearson said a prosecution was inexplicably delayed, and he then began targeting more youngsters online in 2021, first with ‘Kelsey’, set up by an online hunter group, then by ‘Olivia’, run by police on the south coast. All of the ‘girls’ made it clear they were just 13.

Mitigating, Richard Canning said that Boyeldieu had entered early guilty pleas and had spent four years with possible prosecutions hanging over his head, which he described as being “like a sentence in itself”. He said that since his last arrest two years ago, he has not offended.

Judge Mairs gave Boyeldieu a two-year jail sentence, suspended for two years, ordered him to enrol in an accredited sex offenders programme, gave him 55 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work.

He was also given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) which will limit his internet use, and placed him on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

He warned him that should he commit further crimes, or fail to adhere to any part of the order, he would be brought back to court and jailed.