An “out of control” serial paedophile from York has been jailed for a series of sexual offences involving children.

Leo George Neal, 24, was subject to police monitoring and defied a court order aimed at stopping him abusing children when he carried out his latest offences, Anne Richardson, prosecuting, told York Crown Court.

They included paying one girl to send him sexual images of herself and having a collection of sexual images from other girls.

He has already served one prison sentence for three charges of sexual activity with children and a second prison sentence for breaking a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) imposed in 2019 that bans him from contacting or being with children.

He continued to offend within weeks of being released from prison, said Mrs Richardson.

“Your sexual urges towards children are out of control,” the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, told Neal. 

He declared that Neal was "dangerous", saying: “I do consider you pose a substantial risk of serious harm to young girls by committing similar or worse offences. That is because you cannot stop yourself. Who knows what it will progress to.”

Neal, formerly of Huby Court, off Walmgate, York, pleaded guilty to sexual communication with a child, inciting a child to perform sexual acts, attempted sexual communication with a child, two breaches and one attempted breach of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and three offences of having indecent images of children.

He was made subject to an extended prison sentence of six years’ imprisonment plus three years’ extended licence which means that if his behaviour causes concern after he is released partway through the sentence, probation officers can have him returned to prison until April 23, 2033.

A probation report before the court said he is likely to have strict parole conditions when released including the use of polygraph tests and almost daily police monitoring.

Neal will be on the sex offenders’ register for life and the SHPO controlling his behaviour was made for life. He will never work with children or vulnerable adults.

Mrs Richardson said in 2022 Neal formed a relationship with an overage teenager and spent a night at the home of her younger sisters in 2022 despite the SHPO banning that.

The judge accepted nothing happened sexually between Neal and the children, but told him: “It shows you are a risk taker and you have no regard for the orders of the court.”

Neal was remanded in custody after pleading guilty but, the judge said, “tried to squirm out of it” by trying to change his plea and the case was delayed.

The court heard Neal had to be released under custody time limits law on May 18, 2023.

“You were straight on the internet looking for communication with underage girls,” the judge told Neal.

Mrs Richardson said on June 12 and June 14, 2023, Neal made graphic sexual comments to what he believed to be a 12-year-old girl and tried to get her to send him sexual images of herself.

But the “girl” was an undercover police officer and Neal was arrested on June 25. He has been in custody ever since.

On his phone and iPad, police found evidence he had paid a 14-year-old girl for sexual images and had contacted other girls for the same reason. He had 42 sexual videos and 63 sexual pictures of children including those sent to him by real girls.

Defence solicitor advocate Graham Parkin said Neal had admitted all the offences and had taken courses in prison aimed at tackling his sexual behaviour. He knew he needed help.