In 2016, the Offender Database reported that Leon Symonds, then 41, of Macaulay Cottages, Aylesby, Lincolnshire, was sentenced to seven years in prison. On Wednesday, 22 June 2016, Symonds appeared at Grimsby Crown Court for sentencing after being branded a “dangerous” and “predator paedophile” by the presiding judge.
The investigation established that Symonds targeted two young girls in separate “grotesque” incidents. The prosecution reported that he had intimately touched one girl while she slept after they had attended a concert in Cleethorpes. In a second incident, Symonds threatened to hit another young girl unless she participated in sexual activity. He was convicted of indecent assault, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and failing to comply with his notification requirements as a registered sex offender.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
Judge Peter Kelson QC emphasised that Symonds had “devastated” and “cursed” his victims through his “filthy lust.” The court reported that Symonds was a repeat offender, having previously been jailed for 27 months in 2012 for the sexual assault of a child. Despite being ordered to register with the police for 10 years following that conviction, he “vilely” failed to update his details in March 2016, leading to his latest arrest.
The judge emphasised that Symonds was a “dangerous offender” with ingrained paedophilic tendencies. The prosecution emphasised that one victim felt “worthless and cheated” and continued to struggle with the trauma of the “vicious” assault. In mitigation, the defence emphasised that while Symonds initially blamed drug use, he eventually acknowledged the impact of his “reprehensible” actions. For his crimes in North East Lincolnshire, the court determined that he required a significant prison term to ensure public protection.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Leon Symonds was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: Seven years in immediate custody.
- SHPO: An indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are in effect for life.
- Convictions: Admitted to indecent assault, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, and failing to register as a sex offender.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Symonds is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Humberside Police and the prison estate. Due to his “vicious” history of repeat offending and his “vile” disregard for police notification orders, his management is under the highest level of scrutiny by the Public Protection Unit.
As a lifetime member of the Sex Offenders Register, Symonds must comply with mandatory notification requirements regarding his future residence. Authorities state that his “reprehensible” use of threats and the “vicious” targeting of sleeping children justify the indefinite SHPO. Any breach of his registration conditions, his court orders, or his licence terms upon release will result in his immediate arrest and return to Grimsby Crown Court.
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