Epping Cricket Club grub Leigh Howes pleads guilty to child sex crimes against girl

An Epping Cricket Club volunteer who worked at various schools and a Melbourne hospital sexually preyed on a young girl because he was “sad”.

Leigh Howes pleaded guilty to child sex offences. Picture: Facebook.

A Melbourne-based cricket club stalwart who worked at various schools has been exposed as a sex fiend after he preyed on a young girl.

Leigh Howes, 33, pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court to multiple charges including encourage a child under 16 for sexual activity.

Howes, who also pleaded guilty to multiple transmit indecent communication to an underage person charges, met his victim while he volunteered at a cricket club.

Howes communicated with the victim via Snapchat.

“F--k I forgot how beautiful your boobs are,” the fiend said.

The victim sent Howes a photo which he screenshotted but then asked the girl to “go lower”.

Howes also asked the child if she was “shaved or hairy”.

The victim told Howes to ”stop saving my snaps” because if caught “you’ll go to jail”.

Howes begged his victim to send more lewd images after he promised her he would not save screenshots but she refused.

Howes also sent the child images of his penis on multiple occasions.

Howes was reported to sex crime investigators on January 2 last year.

Police raided Howes’ home where they caught him with lewd images of the child.

Howes, of South Morang, also admitted the penis photos were his and claimed he committed the offending because he was “sad”.

“I have struggles in my life,” Howes told police.

Howes is South Morang a carpenter who had been involved with various cricket clubs.

The defence submitted Howes was an Epping Cricket Club volunteer who helped at the canteen and assisted on “game day” and at functions.

Howes, a Mill Park secondary college graduate, is an experienced carpenter “in charge of all the maintenance” at St Vincent’s, the court was told.

The defence also submitted Howes has been involved in cricket since he was a child and had been involved at various clubs including Strathewen Cricket Club and a Mernda-based cricket club.

A video depicting Howes was posted on the Gilgai Plains Primary School Facebook page less than a month after he was reported to police.

The post states Howes joined the “school team in the maintenance department”.

The post also stated Howes had been president and a cricketer at Strathewen, had worked for Banyule Council and had previously been employed at Marcellin College.

A psych report submitted to the court found Howes was an “average risk” of reoffending.

The prosecution fought hard for Howes to be jailed, submitting the fiend committed “predatory type offending”.

“This a (then) 32-year-old man and ... girl … that is not a ‘friendship’ that is inappropriate …,” the prosecution submitted.

“It is offensive to the community and requires denunciation …”

Magistrate Kay Robertson termed Howes’ lewd offending as “horribly wrong”.

“She has done nothing wrong … she has absolutely done nothing wrong … it’s incredibly damaging for her future … ,’’ she said.

“There is no excuse to break the law as you have done … you will be punished … volunteering, working at schools, that is where people need to have a clean record …

“And of course the reputation of that cricket club will also suffer as a result of what you have done.”

Ms Robertson indicated she would spare Howes an immediate jail time but ordered he be assessed for a community correction order.

Howes, who will be made a registered sex offender for 15 years, will be formally sentenced on April 22.

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