Teen sex beast caged for at least six years for grooming then molesting a string of young victims

Lee Hughes Smith, from Bramhall, was told he will have to serve at least six years of a nine year sentence after admitting the crimes against girls from Stockport and Derbyshire

Lee Hughes Smith

A pervert has been jailed for grooming a string of teenage girls for sex after meeting them on the internet.

Lee Hughes Smith, 19, from Bramhall,Stockport, was locked up for nine years and told he would have to serve at least six years behind bars after he admitted a series of sex crimes against six teenage girls in Stockport and Derbyshire.

Minshull Street Crown Court heard he groomed his victims after meeting them through social networking websites and smartphone messenger services between July 2011 and April 2013.

He befriended them and - flattered by his advances - they believed they were becoming involved in a genuine relationship.

All the girls he met were under the age of 16 and Smith was 16 when he committed his first offence, the court heard.

He took compromising pictures and videos of his victims and then used them to bribe his victims to commit sex acts.

Smith had previously pleaded guilty to twelve counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of rape, four counts of making an indecent image, two counts of committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual act, four counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child, two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of sexual assault.

He also admitted one count of publishing an obscene article, false imprisonment, two counts of assault and one count of driving whilst disqualified.

After the hearing, Detective Inspector Dave Moores said: “This is a disturbing case of sexual exploitation of children in which Smith would seek out and target young, underage girls.

“Smith would also take photos of the girls partially clothed, sometimes they were naked or he has recorded them doing something degrading.

“He used these photographs and films to manipulate and control the girls. Today’s sentence reflects the severity of Smith’s crimes and I hope this result can allow these girls to try to move on with their lives knowing justice has been done.”