Man convicted of indecently assaulting teenager (From The Northern Echo)

Man convicted of indecently assaulting teenager

5:17pm Thursday 21st February 2013 in Crime News

A MAN is facing jail after he was found guilty of indecently assaulting a teenage boy.

Aaron Ledean said he was just “mates” with the victim and had offered support to him at a time when he had issues in his life.

But the prosecution in his trial at Teesside Crown Court said he had deliberately isolated the complainant and indecently assaulted him on three occasions.

Ledean met the teenager at a bar in Middlesbrough and also took him to the cinema. He also allowed him to visit and stay at his home.

The 40-year-old, of The Paddock, Billy Row, Crook, County Durham, was found guilty on all three counts by the jury which took less than two hours to deliver its verdict.

The jury had been told of a previous conviction Ledean had for downloading indecent material to his computer of young boys engaged in sexual acts with men.

Judge John Walford thanked the jury for their efforts and told Ledean – who had maintained nothing untoward happened with the teenager - a custodial sentence was inevitable.

His barrister Scott Smith, who requested a pre-sentence report, asked that Ledean's unconditional bail continue.

But Judge Walford refused. He said: “In the circumstances and bearing in mind the inevitability of the sentence it would seem to be inappropriate and almost unfair to him to consider bail so at this stage he will remain in custody.”

Ledean, who was previously known as Robert Millmoor before changing his name, will be sentenced at the court on March 18.