York paedophile snared after boy hands in phone found at boot sale

Karl Fox was jailed and given a sexual harm prevention order

Police have thanked a teenager who handed in a phone which led to the conviction of a prolific sex offender.

Karl Fox, 51, of Burton Stone Lane in York, had left a handset filled with abuse images for a child to find at a boot sale, North Yorkshire Police said.

The device was bought by a teenager, and displayed a slideshow of indecent images. It was then passed to police.

At York Crown Court on 23 February, Fox was jailed for 28 months and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Fox, a registered sex offender, had also loaded his phone with a message which followed the slideshow, stating he hoped a young child would find the phone.

The "sinister" message was followed by more disturbing images, North Yorkshire Police said.

Phones found at Fox's home also contained fantasies about child sexual abuse, police said

A spokesperson for the force said a 15-year-old boy bought the device last summer because he was "interested in technology and fixing broken phones".

The boy had been "horrified" by what he saw on screen and, accompanied by his mother, had handed it in to officers, they added.

From information on the device officers were able to identify Fox as the previous owner.

Evidence on the phone showed he had breached a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) 15 times, North Yorkshire Police said.

Fox was handed the SHPO in 2004 following offences of outraging public decency.

Other phones found at Fox's home contained further indecent images of children and "graphic self-written fantasies" about child sexual abuse, the force added.

'Revolting contents'

At York Crown Court last month Fox was found guilty of 15 breaches of a SHPO, and banned from attending any beach or public park.

He was also found guilty of three charges of possessing and distributing indecent images of a child.

Det Con Charlotte White said: "It was Fox's goal for a child to find the phone and his actions meant that a 15-year-old boy was subjected to viewing the horrific and revolting contents within it.

"Without the teen recognising the seriousness of what he had found, and having the courage to report it to us, we would not have known that Fox was brazenly breaching his conditions."

Det Con White added: "I'd like to take this opportunity to thank him as his quick-thinking actions meant we were able to launch a full investigation leading to Fox's arrest and subsequent imprisonment."