A BAFTA-nominated TV director who groomed a teenage boy online and told him he had ‘seen Harry Styles naked’ has avoided prison.
Lee Salisbury, 46, was said to have met the boy when he appeared as a ‘star guest’ at a film course.
The three-time British Soap Award winner has worked on Emmerdale, Coronation Street, Holby City and EastEnders — and has his own podcast interviewing TV stars.
Bradford Crown Court heard the boy followed Salisbury’s Instagram account, Soapfromthebox, in April this year and within hours received a message from the director.
Prosecutor Ella Embleton said the message read: ‘Well done mate, you’re great.’
She added the boy was ‘impressed’ that he had been messaged by an account with a blue tick, and that he got another message that said: ‘Hope you’re good.’
The court heard Salisbury bragged to the boy about having ‘previously worked’ with pop star Harry Styles and said he had ‘seen him naked on several occasions’.
Salisbury, of Little Court, Tong Lane in Bradford, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual communication with a child.
He received a 12-month sentence suspended for 18 months.
Lee Salisbury, 46, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual communication with a child at Bradford Crown Court
The three-time British Soap Award winner has worked on Emmerdale, Coronation Street and EastEnders, he is best known as a director of Emmerdale from 2006-2015
The director bragged about ‘seeing Harry Styles naked’ – One Direction start pictured at the Grammy Awards in 2023
Following the initial message, Ms Embleton said Salisbury messaged the boy again and asked if he used the Telegram app, to which the boy ‘didn’t know what to say but felt he needed to stay in contact due to his [Salisbury’s] expertise and contacts.’
The boy told Salisbury his age and Ms Embleton said a later examination of Salisbury’s phone revealed searches relating to how to recover Telegram messages.
Ms Embleton said that during conversations, Salisbury asked the boy about the size of his genitalia and also said he had seen another boy on the film course ‘in his boxer shorts’ before requesting him to ‘keep that information to himself’.
The prosecutor added: ‘He asked if he had the boy’s number as he wanted to offer him a part.’
Salisbury would also ring the victim in the early hours of the morning, and although the teenager would not answer at the time, he would wake to see missed calls on his phone the next morning.
The boy bravely read a victim impact statement to the court, in which he said: ‘Since this investigation, I have been reluctant to attend certain holiday or weekend courses relating to film, drama or dance.
‘I really struggle to trust adults in the industry and look differently at adults I know…I struggle to trust what they say or do.
Lee Salisbury directed 40 episodes of the soap EastEnders from 2010 to 2016
Salisbury directed 31 episodes of the soap Coronation Street from 2014 to 2015
‘I want to be a famous actor and that’s why I messaged him. When he was calling and messaging me, it affected my sleep and I stayed up late at night when I was doing my studies and exams.
‘I felt withdrawn at home and school and would feel confused about the situation and how it started and what he said to me. I has made my anxiety worse.
‘I have lost trust in my friends due to the situation. Friends have told people what happened and I didn’t want people to know.
‘I was worried I would lose friends or be treated differently. I would notice I would get short-tempered with my parents when they were looking over my shoulder at my phone.’
The boy said he now worries for younger children.
Mitigating, David Outterside, told the court Salisbury had pleaded guilty and had no previous convictions on his record.
He said: ‘It is what is said about his attitude and remorse that comes with it and reflection and the desire to atone and rehabilitate himself for the future.
‘The author of a pre-sentence report goes to lengths to say that he did in the interview show remorse and I quote, ‘There was no attempt to minimise what he did in this case’ which is not always the case in cases of this type.’
The court heard Salisbury is ‘appalled’ by what he did and ’embarrassed’ and ‘ashamed’ and ‘apologised for his conduct’.
Bradford Crown Court (pictured) heard the boy followed Salisbury’s Instagram account, Soapfromthebox, in April this year and within hours received a message from the director
Mr Outterside said: ‘He has been a hard-working man throughout his life and has built over 25 years a very good career.’
It was said Salisbury was using cocaine at the time, and is now estranged from his husband, who sat in court to support him.
Mr Outterside said he is now working with Forward Leeds to rid himself of his drug habit which ‘got worse and turned into an addiction’.
He added: ‘This is not someone who has been sitting about waiting for their sentence to pass, it is someone who has got to it and start rehabilitation off their own back.
‘There is opportunity for work in the future. He is not regarded as a high risk.’
Recorder Iqbal made Salisbury the subject of a 12-month sentence suspended for 18 months.
He barred him from working with children and vulnerable adults and ordered him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and 20 days rehabilitation activity requirement days.
Salisbury was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for five years and told he must pay £2,000 in compensation to the victim and £1,000 prosecution costs.
