Former soap director sent sexual messages to boy

Lee Salisbury has been handed a suspended prison sentence

A BAFTA-nominated television director who sent sexually explicit messages to a teenage boy has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Lee Salisbury, 46, began messaging the boy after meeting him at a film course where the defendant had attended as a "star guest".

Salisbury, of Tong Lane, Bradford, who has worked on Emmerdale and EastEnders and won three British Soap Awards, pleaded guilty to sexual communication with a child.

At Bradford Crown Court on Wednesday, he was handed a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

Prosecutor Ella Embleton said that after the boy began following Salisbury on Instagram he received a message from the defendant saying "Well done mate, you were great," and asking him if he used the Telegram app.

She said Salisbury went on to tell the boy he had worked with One Direction star Harry Styles and “seen him naked on several occasions.”

She told the court Salisbury was aware of the boy's age, and that it was later discovered he had been searching "how to recover Telegram messages" and "how you get text messages thrown out of court" online.

Ms Embleton said during further conversation the defendant asked the boy about his sexuality, whether he slept naked and told him he had seen another boy in his underwear.

In a victim impact statement, the boy said he had aspirations to become an actor, which is why he had messaged Salisbury.

“I looked up to people within the industry like Lee but now I struggle to trust what they say and do,” he said.

“None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for Lee. It’s made me angry."

David Outterside, for Salisbury, said his client wanted to issue a full apology, saying he was "appalled" by his behaviour.

He said Salisbury had been reeling at the time from the end of his marriage and his long-standing cocaine addiction, for which he had since sought treatment, had gotten worse.

In addition to the suspended sentence, the judge, Recorder Abdul Iqbal KC, ordered Salisbury to undertake 150 hours unpaid community work and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Salisbury, who had no previous convictions, has also been barred from working with children and vulnerable adults and will have to comply with a sexual harm prevention order for the next five years.

His name will be placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years and has been told to pay £2,000 to the victim and £1,000 in costs.

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