Harrogate man who thought he was sending explicit sexual images to a 12-year-old jailed

A Harrogate man has been jailed after sending explicit sexual images to someone he thought was a 12-year-old child.

Jason Carl Veal, 33, thought he was talking to a 12-year-old girl over a social media platform, but he was really talking to an undercover investigator.

In January 2023, Veal sent a friend request to the “girl” via SnapChat, and began sending explicit sexual videos of adults performing sex acts on themselves and encouraged her to do the same.

At one point he believed the girl was at school and encouraged her to use the toilets to carry out the sex acts.

He was arrested by officers a few weeks later and charged with the following offences to which he pleaded guilty:

• attempting to cause/incite a female child under 13 to engage in sexual activity – penetration
• attempt to cause a child under 13 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity 
• attempt to engage in sexual communication with a child.

He appeared at York Crown Court on Friday 1 March where he was jailed for 30 months. The court also ordered him to register with the police for an indefinite period and issued him with 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Kirsty Sullivan, from our Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “Irrespective of who he was really talking to, he clearly believed he was communicating with a 12-year-old and that is of great concern to us. The language he used was disgusting and the images repulsive. The Online Child Abuse Investigation Team works proactively and sometimes covertly to identify those who pose a risk to children."

Are you concerned about your own or someone else's inappropriate interest in children? The Lucy Faithfull Foundation can provide help and advice. 

• Stop it now! – www.stopitnow.org.uk – seek anonymous and confidential help if you or someone you know could be a sexual risk to children

Seeking further support, advice and ways of reporting child abuse

• Please contact North Yorkshire Police on 101. If you are in immediate danger, always dial 999 for an emergency response
• Victims who would prefer not to go direct to the police and are not in immediate danger, can contact Bridge House, North Yorkshire’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), on 0330 223 0362, email [email protected] or go to bridgehousesarc.org
• You can also contact Supporting Victims direct at org or call 01609 643100
• NSPCC Helplines: * Help for adults concerned about a child – call 0808 800 5000 * Help for children and young people – call Childline on 0800 1111 * Go to nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse