An “abhorrent” paedophile from Bradford has been jailed after being caught in an online child abuse sting. Michael Greasby, 57, of Hatfield Road in Undercliffe, admitted eight child sexual offences and was sentenced to six years and three months in prison at Bradford Crown Court last Friday.
His offences included attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, trying to cause or incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to meet a child under 16, three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child and two counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child.
West Yorkshire Police said they received intelligence that Greasby had been messaging someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl. In fact, he was speaking to a decoy operated by an online child abuse group. Bradford’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team then launched an inquiry and arrested him in March 2023.
Officers seized his digital devices, and his phone was found to contain more than 250 indecent images of children. Detectives said the material underlined the seriousness of his offending and his clear intent to encourage the sexual abuse of children.
Detective Constable Adam Flaxington, of Bradford’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said Greasby’s behaviour was “abhorrent” and that he was actively trying to persuade what he thought was a child into sexual activity. He added that even though Greasby had been talking to a decoy, his intent to cause harm to children was clear.
Officers said they remain committed to protecting victims of child sexual abuse and bringing offenders before the courts.