Emily Hedigan from Bramley sexually abused young boy

Emily Hedigan, 21, of Broadlea Grove, in Bramley, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to various sexual offences at an earlier hearing on February 29.

She was jailed for four years and eight months.

There were eight offences in total, which included: three counts of causing or inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity, sexual touching of a boy aged under 13, taking, making, and distributing indecent images of a child, and possession of cocaine.

Hedigan has been put behind bars after an investigation by specialist safeguarding officers in Leeds.

Emily Hedigan, 21, of Broadlea Grove, Bramley (Image: West Yorkshire Police)

Police were alerted after somebody obtained Hedigan's mobile phone and found images of a boy on it. 

She was arrested and her phone was examined by expert digital forensic investigators who recovered video and still images of her sexually abusing the child on a number of occasions.

The digital forensic team discovered Hedigan had been sending the images to a man elsewhere in the country in exchange for money.

She admitted the offences when interviewed but claimed she had been providing the images under duress.

The court also ordered that Hedigan signed on to the Sex Offenders Register for life and she was given a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Inspector Amy Spaven, of Leeds District Safeguarding Unit, said: “Her actions will have had a significant traumatic impact on the victim that is likely to affect him for the rest of his life.

“We hope that seeing her held accountable and sent to prison will provide some reassurance.

“We always treat sexual offences of this nature very seriously and have specialist safeguarding officers who will support victims and their families throughout their investigations and the court process and do everything they can to get justice for them.”