Petar Hristov met a woman online and then showed serious and disturbing sexual interest in very young children.
According to the evidence presented at Leeds Crown Court, he believed he was in contact with a mother who could provide access to young children.
However, his online conversation was with officers from the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit.
Petrov, 29, was found guilty on Friday (22/7) of intentionally causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child under the age of 13.
The court heard that between December 13th and February 3rd, he communicated online with a woman and asked her to sexually abuse the children. He then set up a meeting with her with the intention of sexually abusing the children himself.
This, however, was part of a covert investigation.
Hristov was arrested in February by West Yorkshire Police’s Online Investigations Team, and an examination of his devices revealed that he also had an indecent moving image of a child.
In addition to the 14-year sentence, Hristov was given a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Det Chf Insp Andrew Howard of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit said after the sentencing, “We are pleased that Hristov has received a sentence that reflects the nature of his offending.”
“I have no doubt that Hristov posed a risk to children through his online activities if he hadn’t been caught.”
“We would always encourage people to report any illegal activity involving child sexual exploitation that they may come across while engaging in normal online activity.”
