X Factor paedophile Danny Tetley is freed three years early after being jailed for using his fame to groom young boys

By JOE ROSSITER, REPORTER and ISAAC CROWSON Published: 09:30, 4 July 2026 | Updated: 09:30, 4 July 2026 Former X Factor contestant and child sex offender Danny Tetley has been released from jail early, just six years after he was sentenced for grooming seven boys. Tetley, now 44, reached the semi-finals of the ITV talent show in 2018 after a stint on Pop Idol in 2001 but was sentenced to nine years in prison in January 2020. A court heard he used his 'fame and notoriety' to groom the boys, who were aged between 14 and 16. The parents of his youngest victim compared Tetley to paedophile Jimmy Savile. Bradford Crown Court previously heard Tetley groomed the boys over WhatsApp, paying them thousands of pounds in exchange for indecent photographs and videos. He offered a 14-year-old boy £1,000 for a picture of his penis, while another boy of the same age was paid £200 for indecent images. The 'monster' paid his youngest victim, who was left 'ashamed' and 'suicidal' after the ordeal according to his mother, £700 into a PayPal account. When questioned on this extra money, the boy told his parents he had won it while gaming. Danny Tetley, who reached the semi-final of the X Factor in 2018, was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2020 after being convicted of child sexual offences It is understood he was released earlier this year after serving two thirds of his sentence Two boys were also persuaded to perform sexual acts with one another on camera in exchange for more money, the court heard. One of the boys later said they had 'let him get away with it' because of the amount of money they were offered. Tetley 'spent likely many thousands of pounds' persuading the boys to send explicit material, telling one victim: 'Trust me, money ain't a prob as long as they are good.' Before his stint on the singing contest Tetley had worked on the club and cruise ship circuit. But after appearing on television he offered victims access to exclusive events and suggested to one boy he could get him an agent to help boost his acting career. Some victims met Tetley at parties while others were fans of his X Factor performances. The singer also sent boys indecent images of himself and other victims, alongside adult pornography. His crimes were only discovered after a victim's parent checked their son's phone and found graphic messages. The singer, who previously worked on the club and cruise ship circuit, pictured with X Factor judge Simon Cowell Tetley admitted seven counts of causing the sexual exploitation of boys and two offences related to distributing indecent images. But it is understood he was released earlier this year after serving two thirds of his nine-year sentence. Speaking after his release, bosses at the Ministry of Justice said Tetley's crimes were 'horrific' and said there would be restrictions on his movements. A Prison Service spokesman said: 'These were horrific crimes and our thoughts remain with the victims. 'Offenders whose release is directed by the independent Parole Board are supervised by the Probation Service and are subject to strict conditions including restrictions on their movements and contact with others. They can be recalled to prison for breaching these conditions or exhibiting behaviour suggesting they pose an increased risk to the public.' One of Tetley's victims said during his trial that he struggled to trust adults and thought they were only nice to him if they wanted something. He said at the time: 'Adults don't understand how life-changing these events can be.' Prosecutor Michael Smith told the court Tetley was 'relatively high profile' and a regular on national television, including appearances on The X Factor, Benidorm and Pop Idol. He said Tetley's public profile formed 'part of the grooming process'. The court heard one victim was an X Factor fan who sent Tetley indecent images while the singer appeared on the programme. Tetley sent the teenager videos of members of the show's cast. Another boy was told: 'It's because you're so sound and you are one of the lads. You've got a friend for life in me, mate, I will always help you out.' The parents of Tetley's youngest victim compared him to the notorious paedophile Jimmy Savile Sentencing Tetley, Judge Durham Hall said: 'Those in the public eye have a deep responsibility which many you see exercise magnificently, with additional work for society. 'Many will see you, I'm afraid, for what you are, to some extent: a despicable creature with very few redeeming features.' He branded the singer's crimes 'blatant and disgusting', adding: 'The level to which you sank, Mr Tetley, was unbelievable.' Tetley, of St Enoch's Road, Bradford, was jailed for nine years and ordered to serve a further eight years on licence after his release. During the police investigation, Tetley claimed he had been 'set up' and alleged people were targeting him because he was famous. But Detective Inspector Ian Cottrell, of West Yorkshire Police, said investigators had proved he had been actively grooming children through social media. He said: 'Tetley claimed he had been set up and that people were out to get him because he was famous, but our investigation was able to prove that he was actively grooming children through social media.' In court, Tetley also blamed a drink and drug problem. The singer was released from prison after serving two thirds of the custodial part of his sentence and remains subject to licence conditions. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.