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Former X Factor contestant Danny Tetley, who reached the semi-finals of the talent show in 2018, has had his 17-year sentence for sexually exploiting teenage boys reduced after it was ruled that it was “too harsh”.
The 40-year-old admitted seven charges of the sexual exploitation of boys aged between 14 and 16, as well as the distribution of indecent images, and was later sentenced to nine years in prison with a further eight years of close monitoring on licence following his release.
Following a successful appeal, Tetley’s original sentence was deemed too lengthy for his crimes. He will now be monitored on licence for just five years instead of the original eight when he is released from prison.
The Criminal Appeal Office said, "The full court allowed the appeal and the sentence is now an extended sentence of 14 years, comprising a custodial term of nine years and an extended period of licence of five years."
Tetley first appeared in court in December 2019, where he pleaded guilty to paying for teenage boys to send him indecent images.
Although he never met the victims in person engaged in “highly sexualised chat” in 10,000 WhatsApp messages – which included X-rated photos of himself – and paid up to £1000 at a time for naked images.
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At the time of his sentencing at Bradford Crown Court in January 2020, the judge told him, “What you demanded and showed were blatant and the disgusting level to which you sank, Mr Tetley, was quite unbelievable.”
The judge continued, “Many will see you for what you are, a despicable creature. The reality is our society is deeply interested in celebrity, it does no harm. Pure entertainment of highest order including X Factor, upon which you featured in some capacity.
“You exploited the status it gave you. You abused that status to satisfy your perverted sexual needs, by your actions."