Leighton Gent

Leighton Gent, a 28-year-old man from Bristol, has been sentenced to more than six years in prison for a series of online child sexual offences. He pleaded guilty to 15 counts related to the sexual exploitation of children and requested that dozens of additional offences be taken into consideration during his sentencing at Bristol Crown Court.

The investigation began in July 2024 when officers from Avon and Somerset Police's Internet Child Abuse Team received intelligence indicating that Gent had uploaded indecent images of children to the internet and engaged in sexual communication with children under 15 years old. He was arrested at his home address in Bedminster, Bristol. A subsequent forensic examination of his electronic devices revealed that Gent had utilised various online platforms to communicate sexually with dozens of children worldwide, fully aware of their underage status. The examination uncovered more than 5,000 indecent images or videos in his possession.

Gent's offences included four counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, three counts of making indecent images of children (one each for categories A, B, and C), three counts of distributing indecent images of children (one each for categories A, B, and C), two counts of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, and one count each of possession of extreme pornographic images, possession of prohibited images of a child, and arranging and facilitating the commission of a child sexual offence. Additionally, he asked for 29 further counts of attempting sexual communication with a child to be considered.

On Friday, 14 March 2025, Gent was sentenced to six years and eight months' imprisonment. He was also made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to restrict his future behaviour and protect the public, particularly children.

PC Laura Gaby, the officer in the case from Avon and Somerset Police, described Gent as 'a very dangerous individual, who has repeatedly targeted children, the most vulnerable in society.' She highlighted how he 'groomed children online for his own sexual gratification,' directing them to engage in sexual activity and exposing them to sexual acts with profound lifelong impacts. Gaby emphasised the complexity of the investigation but affirmed the police's commitment to bringing such offenders to justice.

This case underscores the ongoing efforts by Avon and Somerset Police to combat online child sexual exploitation through specialised teams like the Internet Child Abuse Team. The source of this information is the official Avon and Somerset Police news release dated March 2025.