Steven Leather: Man found with 'vile' child sexual abuse images involving kids as young as two

A man has been been brought to justice at Sheffield Crown Court after being found in possession of child sexual abuse images, featuring kids as young as two. 

Steven Leather’s criminality was exposed after he became engaged in an online communication with an undercover police officer posing as a ‘young child’ on an online messaging platform. 

Ayesha Smart, prosecuting, told Sheffield Crown Court that while the communication was not sexual it led officers to ‘make the decision’ to attend Leather’s home, and seize electronic devices from him, including a Samsung mobile phone. 

Police analysis of the device subsequently revealed Leather, aged 58, was in possession of a total of 37 indecent images and ‘moving images’ - or videos - of children. 

Ms Smart told a hearing held on May 21, 2024 that a total of 15 images - 11 still, and four moving - were of Category A, the most serious of the legal categories. 

The Category A images involved children aged between four and six-years-old, Ms Smart said. 

She added: “In one of the moving images, the child is in distress and crying.” 

Leather was also found to be in possession of 18 Category B images, including four ‘moving’ images, featuring children as young as two and three-years-old, the court heard. 

Ms Smart said Leather only had one previous conviction, dating back to 1997 for a ‘dissimilar matter’. 

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Judge Graham Reeds KC said he would therefore treat Leather as being of ‘reclaimed’ good character. 

Leather, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to offences of possessing indecent images of children at an earlier hearing. 

Defending, Dale Harris said Leather had displayed ‘genuine remorse,’ and was ‘broadly accepting’ of what viewing the images means, ‘in terms of the abuse of children’. 

“He’s approaching 60-years-old, and should have known better. These offences date back to December 2021.” 

Mr Harris said that while Leather had to take some responsibility for the delay in the case - after initially entering not guilty pleas - he was not charged with the offences until July 2023. 

“I ask the court to take into account that delay,” Mr Harris said, and referred Judge Reeds to Leather’s pre-sentence report and the references submitted on his behalf. 

Judge Reeds told Leather that in his view the ‘particularly vile’ nature of the images he admitted to being in possession of to be an ‘aggravating factor’.

He sentenced Leather to eight months’ imprisonment, but said he felt able to suspend the sentence for a period of two years, because Leather had already taken steps to rehabilitate himself; and he believes he will both continue with, and complete, those efforts while at liberty in the community. 

Judge Reeds also made Leather the subject of a 40-day rehabilitation activity requirement, a five-year sexual harm prevention order, and told him he will be required to register as a sex offender for the next 10 years. 

*Please note: South Yorkshire Police only provide custody images of defendants who receive an immediate prison sentence