Philip Greenhalgh, a 61-year-old man from Leeds, exploited a vulnerable 15-year-old girl by bribing her with money and cigarettes to perform a series of sexual acts. The offences, which spanned several years, came to light after the girl confided in a friend, leading to Greenhalgh's arrest and subsequent conviction at Leeds Crown Court.
The girl, seeking pocket money for a Mother's Day present and already struggling with a smoking habit, initially came into contact with Greenhalgh, who offered financial assistance. As detailed in court by prosecutor Eleanor Fry, Greenhalgh quickly escalated his demands. After providing cigarettes, he asked the girl, 'How are you going to pay me for them?' He coerced her into exposing her breasts, touching her inappropriately, which left her distressed and in tears at home. The abuse intensified as he demanded she masturbate him, remove her clothing, and pose in specific positions for photographs and videos captured on his phone. In one recovered video, Greenhalgh instructed her on how to pose, even asking her to smile during the acts.
Greenhalgh attempted to persuade the girl to have full sexual intercourse, mentioning he was saving a condom for the occasion, though she refused. Unable to confide in her mother due to shame over her smoking, the girl eventually told a friend, who urged her to contact the police. West Yorkshire Police investigated, interviewing Greenhalgh, who claimed he believed the girl was 14 at the time. A search of his phone revealed a factory reset had been performed, but indecent images and videos of the girl were successfully recovered.
On the eve of his trial in June 2024, Greenhalgh pleaded guilty to 16 serious sexual offences against a child, including five counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, four counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of taking indecent photographs, and three counts of making indecent photographs. Recorder David Kelly, addressing Greenhalgh during sentencing, highlighted the exploitation: 'She wanted pocket money for a Mother’s Day present, together with the fact she had a smoking habit you encouraged by giving her cigarettes and asking for sexual favour in return. She was unable to tell her mother at the time because she would have had to tell her mother she was smoking cigarettes.'
The court heard Greenhalgh had prior convictions, notably a 1992 rape for which he served two years. In mitigation, Richard Canning noted Greenhalgh's time on bail without further offending and expressed his client's shame, stating, 'He knows he is going to receive a lengthy sentence. He is thoroughly ashamed of what he has done, he wishes it had never happened. His main wish is that the complainant will get past this when she gets older.' Despite this, Recorder Kelly imposed an eight-year custodial sentence, requiring Greenhalgh to serve two-thirds before parole eligibility. He was also placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely and subjected to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order.
At the time of the offences, Greenhalgh lived in Leeds; he now resides on Ingram Crescent in Knottingley, near Wakefield. The case was reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post on 23 June 2024, underscoring the predatory nature of the abuse facilitated by the girl's innocent intentions.