A teenage boy received a disturbing video on Snapchat from the Leeds Paedophile, Liam Gandz, depicting his own sexual assault and rape in a hotel room.
Liam Gandz, 19, maliciously targeted the youngster while he slept in August 2020. At the age of 16, Liam Gandz recorded the brutal assault and transmitted the footage to another individual before it reached the victim.
Liam Gandz, from Brayton Square in Leeds, was jailed at Leeds Crown Court for sexual assault and the rape of a child under 13, two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, and three charges of producing indecent photos of a child.
The latter offences related to an eight-year-old boy Liam Gandz sexually assaulted and raped. That attack was also filmed. Leeds Crown Court heard on Thursday that Liam Gandz said: “FFS he’s waking up” as he filmed the sick assault.
Prosecutor Philip Standfast said: “On 14th September 2020, the 16-year-old victim got sent a video of an indecent nature from a contact on Snapchat. He recognised himself and saw the sex offences committed against him. He wasn’t aware [it was taking place] because he was asleep at the time. He could see the defendant filmed them. He told his mum, and she informed the police.”
The police interviewed the eight-year-old, and although he did not initially make a report, he was upset.
The court heard Liam Gandz’s phone was seized and showed the videos and stills had been recorded. He had sent them on to a person online who was operating under the profile of a female who has not yet been identified. Mr Standfast said: “When he was arrested, his phone was seized and downloaded and recovered were many [indecent] images at categories A, B and C.”
In his interviews, Liam Gandz did not comment but indicated guilty pleas at the Magistrates’ court.
In their victim impact statement, the parents of the eight-year-old victim told the court how the offences have had a “profound impact on his life” and have “caused psychological harm.” Mr Stansfield said they said the offences have “shattered his sense of safety.”
He added: “His parents feel an overwhelming sense of guilt from not being able to protect their child from harm.”
Mitigating, Catherine Silverton said three Child in Need reports had been undertaken, as well as a doctor’s report and a pre-sentence report. She told Liam Gandz is “disgusted in himself” and said: “It’s nearly three years since the commission of these offences. He knows he will get an immediate custodial sentence today. He was 16 years old and four months old at the time.
“He indicated he would plead guilty at the first opportunity at court.”
Ms Silverton said there had been an “unreasonable” delay in the case, and Liam Gandz has previous convictions, but none of them relevant.
His Honour Judge Stubbs KC sentenced Liam Gandz to just four-and-a-half-years in a Young Offenders’ Institution and said it was “worrying” that he had not accepted his wrongdoing.
He said: “The messages you sent show me very clearly that you knew what you were doing was wrong…Your attitude to what you did wrong is very worrying and is something that concerns me…the fact you’re shaking your head and acting like you don’t know what I’m saying is evidence of that…
“Opening up and accepting what you’ve done wrong is important. It’s alright to come to me crying when you pleaded guilty, but when someone comes to you and talks to you about what you did – rape an eight-year-old – you come and shake your head, and that’s what worries me.”
The judge made Liam Gandz the subject of a lifelong sexual harm prevention order and said he would be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.