Exclusive:Barnsley paedophile abused two girls while on bail after giving police phone with hundreds of indecent images
Luke Taylor has now been jailed for more than five years
A paedophile who abused five girls over a number of years began communicating with two of his victims while on bail, despite having handed police a phone containing hundreds of indecent images of children.
In Sheffield Crown Court on Friday, June 6, the mum of one of Luke Taylor’s victims explained how he had “taken [my daughter’s] innocence away” due to his vile offending.
Between 2022 to 2024, 43-year-old Taylor preyed on five young girls - who are granted lifelong anonymity - through the messaging app Snapchat, often presenting himself as a child of a similar age and engaging in conversations with them before asking them to send explicit photos.
He would also send sexual imagery to his young victims.
Police investigations saw Taylor initially arrested in March 2023, with it being heard in court that he handed over a mobile phone containing 300 indecent images of children.
Nevertheless he was released on bail for 18 months, during which time he targeted two of his victims.
He was eventually arrested again in September 2024 and then once again in November 2024, when he handed in another mobile phone, this time containing more than 2,000 indecent images of children.
Of the images police recovered, 698 were Category A - the most extreme - with Recorder Geraldine Kelly saying in court: “There is a video described of a baby aged between 12 to 14 months.”
Explaining the delays in action, police said that digital forensics can take an “extended period of time.”
A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “Investigations in to online sexual offences are often complex and sometimes lengthy in time. When a digital device is seized by our officers, it is transferred to our Digital Forensic Unit for further analysis, which can often take an extended period of time, due to the technology infrastructure.
“Taylor was conditionally bailed after his original arrest, while officers conducted further enquiries and an investigation into the extent of his abhorrent offending. A comprehensive file was being prepared, in accordance to the Crown Prosecution Service charging guidance. Taylor was subsequently re-arrested and charged multiple child sex offences.
“The victims involved in this case were supported by our officers and support services throughout, and were regularly updated around the investigation progress.”
When passing sentence, Judge Kelly said that Taylor’s crimes were aggravated by the fact he was on bail, adding: “When that [first] telephone was seized you must have known what was on it.”
She ultimately passed a sentence of five years and four months in custody.
Speaking of the horror Taylor put his victims through, the judge said: “It doesn’t define them, it defines you.
“The best justice they could have out of this is to thrive and put what you did behind them.”