A MAN who paid schoolboys to perform sexual acts has been jailed for two years.

Martin Walmsley, 30, of Wensley Road, Blackburn, paid a 15-year-old a total of £700 for sexual favours.

Nicholas Simmonds, prosecuting, alleged that Walmsley had sexual encounters with three teenagers over a long period of time. He invited one boy back to his house and asked him to strip naked and lay on the bed and indecently assaulted him.

The encounters with the other two boys were similar.

On one occasion Walmsley took photographs of one of the teenagers while performing sexual acts.

Mr Simmonds said Walmsley had "shown no remorse".

Walmsley pleaded guilty to 6 charges of indecent assault and one of gross indecency. He had no previous convictions.

Andrew Nuttall, defending, admitted that his client represented a danger.

He asked for Walmsley to be given credit for his guilty plea.

"The victims did not have to come to court to give evidence" he said.

Judge John Appleton highlighted the fact that the youngest boy was only 11 or 12 when the sexual encounter took place.

Looking at the reports from the probation officer, he said: "The officer is unable to express any confidence in your future behaviour."

Walmsley was also placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.