Latest Offenders Yorkshire

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A Catholic priest has been locked up after being found guilty of sexually abusing six boys in his care.

Father Patrick Smythe was locked up for seven and a half years after a jury reached unanimous guilty verdicts after a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

Jurors heard how Smythe, 79, preyed on three of his victims during swimming trips to the former Leeds International Pool.Smythe also targeted boys in his care while on a retreat at a hostel in North Yorkshire.

A judge who sentenced Smythe told the pensioner he had told a "pack of lies" to the court during the trial.Judge Simon Batiste said: "The offences involved six different complainants who were at the time of the offences aged between 12 and 16.

"You are a Catholic priest.

"During the trial you denied any criminal wrongdoing whatsoever.

"You took an oath on the Bible - the book that you have purported to have used to preach from for many years - and then told a series of falsehoods and lies that the jury have seen through.

"In short, your account in relation to these matters is a pack of lies."

Smythe, 79, of Manor Square, Otley, was found guilty of six counts of indecent assault and one of attempted indecent assault.

The offences were committed around four decades ago.

Three of the victims provided statements to court describing the lifelong suffering the abuse had caused them.

One described how it led to him abusing alcohol from an early age.

He said: "I never felt able to discuss the issue with my family because of the shame and anxiety and fear it caused me to feel.

"I hope that as a result of the trial, after 45 years, I can finally move on with my life in a more positive direction."

Another victim described Smythe as "a beast".

He said: "He used the church to get within touching distance of young boys."

A third victim said the abuse caused him to lose faith in the Catholic church and that he feared he would never see Smythe be brought to justice.

He said: "I told myself that if he was never judged in this life then he will get his judgement before God when he meets his maker."

Smythe showed no emotion as he sat in the court dock during the hearing.

In addition to the prison sentence, he was told he must go on the sex offender register for life.

Susannah Proctor, mitigating for Smythe, said: "He has given his life to the church. The church are his family.

"I have no doubt that from today the church will withdraw that support for him.

"That is something of his own making."

Judge Batiste paid tribute to the victims as he imposed the sentence upon Smythe.

He said: "For some of these boys it is evident that the impact of your abuse was significant and has lived with them until the present day.

"I pay tribute to the six victims in this case who have shown great bravery and fortitude to give evidence against you."

After the case, Detective Inspector Vicky Alexander, of Leeds District Safeguarding Unit, said: Smythe abused his position of trust to systematically exploit the victims as children over a number of years.

His actions will have had a lasting impact on the victims lives, and we commend the considerable courage they have shown by coming forward as adults to report the offences and support the prosecution that has seen him brought to justice.

We will always treat sexual offences of this nature very seriously and we have specialist safeguarding officers who will support victims throughout the investigation and court process.

This was a lengthy and complex investigation which saw safeguarding officers from Leeds and Wakefield painstakingly building up a detailed evidential picture which has resulted in Smythe being convicted.

We hope it will provide some degree of comfort to the victims to know that he has now had to answer for his actions.

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A paedophile thought that he was having "naughty chat" online with a 12-year-old girl and had a series of "graphic and explicit" conversations about sex with her but really it was a decoy girl and he was trapped.

Perverted sex offender Luke Alder later tried to talk his way out of trouble by pretending that he was actually only trying to catch other sexual predators through his sexualised messages. He was caught with stashes of sickening child pornography that involved children as young as two, Hull Crown Court heard.

Alder, 30, of Eastgate, Goole, admitted attempting to cause a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity and attempting to communicate sexually with her between August 14 and 21, 2020.

He also admitted three offences of making indecent images of children and another of possessing prohibited images of children on September 15 last year.

Stephen Robinson, prosecuting, said that police were alerted by the regional organised crime unit that Alder had been having sexual conversations with a decoy internet profile of a 12-year-old girl on a children's chat account. He asked the fake girl if she had ever had a boyfriend and told her that he would be her boyfriend.

He asked her intimate questions and asked her for a photograph. The decoy sent a picture of her in pyjamas but Alder told her to take them off and asked for a picture of her topless.

On another day, Alder quickly asked the girl if she wanted "naughty chat" and whether she might become pregnant if they had sex. He made sexual suggestions and asked her to send a picture.

Alder was arrested on September 15 last year and police found 19 indecent images of children and two videos in the most serious Category A on his computer equipment, 18 images in Category B and eight in Category C as well as 38 prohibited images of children.

"Some of the images showed children in pain or distress," said Mr Robinson. Some of the children were aged as young as two years old, with others aged up to 15.

During police interview, Alder claimed that he was trying to catch other sexual predators by having sexual conversations online. Charlotte Baines, mitigating, said that no actual contact with a child took place because of the sexual communication.

"This was a decoy but he was engaging with the decoy as though he was speaking to a 12-year-old girl," said Miss Baines.

Alder had no previous convictions and had suffered problems over the years. Judge Sophie McKone said that Alder was not communicating with a real child but he began a conversation with someone that he "very much hoped to be 12" and the conversations were "graphic and explicit" including talk about sex.

"It's very clear that what you intended was some form of sexual communication with this child," said Judge McKone. He clearly had a "sexual interest in children" despite what he had claimed to the probation service. The indecent images showed real children.

"They really are being abused, some child somewhere is being abused," said Judge McKone. "You have contributed to the abuse of that child because, wherever there is a market out there that you feed into, children will continue to be abused. You intended penetrative sexual activity."

Alder was jailed for three years and he was given a sexual harm prevention order for life. He will have to register as a sex offender for life.

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A CHEF who tried for three years to evade justice for sexually assaulting a woman has been jailed.

Mustafa Akgol forced his way into a womans home and sexually assaulted her, York Crown Court heard.

A jury heard they were strangers to each other.

After police had identified him as the attacker and he was charged, Akgol went on the run and had to be arrested on a bench warrant.

The woman had to give evidence against him twice as he denied committing any sexual offence.

But the second jury to try his case convicted him of sexual assault and today he is serving a three-year prison sentence.

He will be on the sex offenders register and disbarred from working with vulnerable people and children, both for the rest of his life.

Judge Simon Hickey told him: A young, vulnerable woman in her own room was assaulted by you, forcing your way in.

Akgol, 45, of Redbarn Drive, Osbaldwick, denied sexual assault.

He followed court proceedings with the help of a Turkish interpreter.

The woman told the juries she was at home on the evening of January 14, 2019.

She heard a noise on the stairs and went to her door. A stranger was standing there.

Before she could do anything he put his foot in the door and forced his way into the flat.

She retreated backwards to her bed where he sexually assaulted her.

Throughout he only said Ssssh, the court heard.

Later the same evening he returned, making it clear that he wanted her to perform a sex act on him.

She told him to leave and he did.

I was shaking like a leaf, she said.

Forensic scientists found Akgols DNA on the womans bra, as well as unknown DNA, York Crown Court heard, and the woman picked him out of a police ID procedure following his arrest.

Akgol stood trial for the first time in November, but legal problems meant the case had to be abandoned before the jury was asked to consider its verdicts.

After the first set of jurors was discharged, Akgol went on the run but was later arrested.

He stood trial again in February.

In the witness box he denied going to the womans bedsit, and said he had spent the evening at another flat in the same building.

He falsely claimed the faces the police chose to go alongside his in the ID procedure were of a different ethnic group to his. But police showed the jury the 12 photos that had been used.

He also claimed he hadnt understood the questions in the police interview.

But, the jury heard, a Turkish interpreter had sat next to him translating the questions for him.

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A computer support technician was found with sickening images of child abuse and bestiality after a major investigation into "extremely disturbing" online messages.

IT expert Jeffrey Birkett now realised that real children were involved in the abuse and it was "beginning to dawn" on him just how troubling and disturbing it was. He slipped into looking at the images after he became isolated during lockdown but the evidence against him was "robust", Hull Crown Court heard.

Birkett, 47, of The Oval, Pocklington, admitted possessing indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography on August 21, 2020. Stephen Welch, prosecuting, said that the National Crime Agency intercepted messages that were "extremely disturbing" and contained indecent material.

"An investigation was launched into who had actually been dispatching these messages," said Mr Welch. They were later traced to Birkett's Pocklington home but no charges had been brought in relation to that matter. His computer equipment was, however, seized.

Two Category C indecent images of children were found as well as 10 extreme pornography bestiality images and 40 videos. David Godfrey, mitigating, said that the offences were troubling and disturbing and it was something that Birkett needed help to tackle.

"He readily appreciates that his behaviour has brought considerable shame on him and those around him," said Mr Godfrey. "He recognises that for every child, there is a victim. There is some difficulty of thinking. He is somebody who is finding it very difficult to articulate why he did what he did."

The evidence that the investigators found was "robust" and he had pleaded guilty. Birkett worked in the IT industry and had been married for six-and-a-half years, as well as being previously married.

He became isolated during lockdown and was "really struggling" at the time. He had no previous convictions. Judge Michael Slater told Birkett: "I accept that it's beginning to dawn on you how serious these matters are. It's clear to me that you are both contrite and extremely apprehensive of today's proceedings and so you should be."

Birkett was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence, 150 hours' unpaid work and 30 days' rehabilitation. He was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender for 10 years. His computer equipment will be forfeited.

"Should you breach it in any way, you will be brought before me and you will have a hard job persuading me not to send you immediately to prison," said Judge Slater. "You are treading a tight rope here, should you have any feelings or desires to commit any similar offences in the future, and you have been suitably warned."

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A convicted paedophile has been jailed for attempting to shoot a neighbour who discovered his criminal past.

Arthur Hodgson, 75, tried to shoot Lee Harker twice after he learned Hodgson had been jailed in 2017 for sexually assaulting young girls.

Judge Peter Kelson QC said the former East Riding of Yorkshire councillor had "taken exception to people learning about your previous sex offences".

Hodgson was jailed for 21 months after he admitted firearms offences.

Hull Crown Court heard Hodgson, who represented the South East Holderness ward until 2016, had moved to the city after being released from jail "for a quiet life".

Judge Kelson said following his move he had fallen "into disrepute" with some people in his new neighbourhood after they learned of his previous offences.

The judge said as a result he had "decided to take the law into his hands".

The court heard Mr Harker did not see Hodgson shoot at him but heard sounds, which he thought was children throwing stones.

Prosecutor Imran Khan said one witness said it sounded "like a BB gun".

He told the court when Mr Harker learnt he was the target of the shootings he feared for his life and that of his daughter's.

Judge Kelson said Hodgson had caused Mr Harker "serious psychological harm" as a result of the incident in February 2021.

Hodgson, of Main Street, Great Hatfield, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence.

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A perverted and "sexually motivated" woman who was "obsessed" with the private parts of young boys has finally been jailed after long delays of more than a year.

Calculating and manipulative Diane Wade targeted five different boys aged between seven and 17 while she "masqueraded" as someone who was interested in just horseplay. There were 14 different incidents of "masochistic" sexual abuse over an eight-year period, Hull Crown Court heard.

Wade, 45, of New Burlington Road, Bridlington, was convicted by a jury of three offences of sexual activity with a boy under 16, one of sexually assaulting a boy under 13 and three of sexually assaulting a male. She denied the offences, which took place between December 2010 and December 2018.

Wade had been convicted after a trial as long ago as March 2, last year but sentence had been repeatedly adjourned for more than a year after various problems arose.

Judge John Thackray QC told Wade: "Your offending followed a familiar pattern. You were obsessed with male genitalia. Your offending was sexually motivated, with a masochistic element."

Wade "masqueraded" over the years as someone who was merely getting involved in harmless horseplay. "It most certainly was not," said Judge Thackray.

There were five victims aged between seven and 17 and the sexual behaviour spanned a period of eight years. Some of the charges involved multiple incidents.

"There were 14 separate incidents of sexual abuse," said Judge Thackray. Some of the incidents involved "shades of an abuse of trust" or grooming and there was a "significant disparity in age" between the boys and Wade. One of the victims was allowed to drink alcohol as part of the behaviour leading up to the offending.

One of the boys was homeless and struggling with drug addiction at the time of the abuse. "Not only did you cause, on occasions, immense physical pain but you have left the victims with worries over their fertility and very significant trust issues," said Judge Thackray.

Wade had suffered a very difficult background that had "rightly been described as wretched".

Charlotte Baines, mitigating, said that Wade had no previous convictions and the fact that she was in custody at New Hall Prison, near Wakefield, during the pandemic had a "significant impact" on her. "She has been on remand throughout the entirety of the Covid-19 pandemic," said Miss Baines.

"She had a very difficult start in life and was subjected to physical violence at the hands of her father."

Wade became pregnant during her "formative teenage years" and had a "lamentable start in life" that had caused problems. "Intellectually, she is not the most sophisticated," said Miss Baines.

"She was assaulted very recently in prison. Others were made aware of who she was in custody, which makes her a particularly vulnerable prisoner. She has had a wretched life."

Wade was jailed for five years and was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. She will have to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Wade had been cleared by the jury of four offences and a not guilty verdict was entered on another charge on the direction of the judge.

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A man who sexually abused a 13-year-old girl has been jailed for nine years.

Joshua Krogulski, 27, of Spruce Walk in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, has been jailed after he was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a child. Krogulski targeted the 13-year-old in 2018 when he was 24.

He denied the charges and claimed he did not know the true age of the girl. But that has been disputed by her family and Krogulski was found guilty by a jury of the three counts.

A representative for the girl's family said Krogulski laughed and fell asleep during the trial which was held at Bradford Crown Court. On Friday, he was jailed for a total of nine years and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for an indefinite period.

Krogulski was also made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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A judge has imposed a 10-year extended sentence on a 27-year-old former Brighouse man for a "callous and sadistic attack" on a woman.

Bradley Stevens, now of no fixed abode, was jailed for six years and three months at Bradford Crown Court yesterday (Friday) for a series of offences including a sexual assault and inflicting grievous bodily harm. However, Recorder Benjamin Nolan QC also concluded that Stevens should be sentenced under the dangerous offender provisions and added a further licence period of three years and nine months.

The court heard that Stevens, who had previous convictions for sexual offences and robbery, would have to serve at least two-thirds of the custodial term before being considered for release.

Recorder Nolan said during an attack on a woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, Stevens had deliberately bent back her finger until it snapped in what was described as a callous and sadistic act. The judge made reference to a pre-sentence report which referred to Stevens as posing an on-going risk of serious harm.

The report author added: He sees no harm in behaving inappropriately violently when he struggles to get what he wants.

Recorder Nolan said: I have no doubt whatsoever that there is in your case a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm."

Stevens will also now have to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life.

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A father-of-five who repeatedly raped a vulnerable teenage girl more than a decade ago has been jailed.

Amjad Hussain, 35, of Adar Street in Keighley, was one of five men found guilty of grooming and raping the girl following a trial in October.

Hussain drove the victim to remote locations where he plied her with alcohol then attacked her.

Sentencing him to 12 years in prison at Bradford Crown Court, the judge said Hussain had committed "gross abuse".

Hussain was found guilty of two specific rape charges and a further offence relating to "multiple incident rapes".

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following her ordeal in 2009 and 2010.

"The gross abuse she suffered at the hands of you and others like you is a significant factor in her mental state now," Judge Andrew Hatton said.

The judge added that it was apparent from the evidence that Hussain would be responsible for "passing on" the teenager to other men.

'Robbed of childhood'

Four other men were jailed in February as part of West Yorkshire Police's Operation Dalesway investigation.

Hussain will serve at least two thirds of his sentence and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Det Ch Insp Alan Weekes, of West Yorkshire Police, previously praised the victim for reporting the offences to the police.

"The abuse she endured robbed her of her childhood and I hope seeing all of these men sent to prison for these horrendous offences she was subjected to, will allow her to start to look forward to the future," he added.

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A paedophile lorry driver has had his time behind bars increased by eight years after a second victim came forward.

Nicholas Dalby, 50, formerly of the Selby area and more recently of Thirsk, was already serving a prison sentence for abusing one child several years ago.

He was prosecuted for the second time after a woman contacted police in 2020 and revealed what Dalby had done to her more than 15 years ago.

He had raped and indecently assaulted in different places including in his lorry.

In her victim personal statement to the court, the woman who came forward recently told Dalby: "You shaped me as a child and teenager, but you will not shape me as an adult.

"This is where my strength has come from: I will not allow you to harm another child and by me speaking up and telling the truth, this is the only way to protect other girls from harm.

After the hearing, Detective Sergeant Sarah Jobe, of Northallerton CID, said: The victim in this case showed immense courage in coming forward, having had to endure these dreadful crimes at a young age. Dalby denied the offences throughout the investigation putting her through further trauma but her strength has ensured justice has now been done.

I hope this conviction shows other victims that it is never too late to seek support for what has happened. By speaking to the police, or other organisations, you can access help and advice for yourself, and allow us to protect other people like you.

Dalby denied abusing the woman when police arrested him and denied all charges when he first appeared before York Crown Court.

But on the day he was due to stand trial at the same court, he changed his plea and admitted three charges of rape, four of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child.

He was jailed for eight years to be served consecutively to his current sentence, with an extra year's prison licence when he is finally released.

He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and will be on the sex offenders' register for life.

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A 56-year-old Bradford man has been jailed for almost four years for sexually abusing a girl.

Locking up Martin Briggs for 46 months, Judge Andrew Hatton told him: Her whole life has been turned upside down by your depravity.

Briggs, of Madison Avenue, Holme Wood, pleaded guilty to two offences of sexually assaulting the girl, one of which reflected multiple occasions on which he abused her.

Prosecutor Abigail Langford told Bradford Crown Court on Tuesday that the victim confided in a family member and a youth worker what Briggs was doing to her.

He was grabbing her breasts and making sexualised comments, she disclosed.

Briggs made no comment when questioned by the police and went on to deny any wrongdoing.

He pleaded guilty on the day of his trial after the girl had been cross-examined ahead of the hearing as is the usual legal practice nowadays.

Timothy Jacobs, Briggs barrister, said he was effectively a man of good character and had no similar offending on his record, just a few motoring convictions many years ago.

Its a matter of great sadness to him that he has let himself go in this way, Mr Jacobs said.

Briggs was beset with financial worries at the time of the offending. He was in debt, stressed and viewing adult mainstream pornography.

He had many serious health and mobility problems and lived an isolated existence.

Judge Hatton said he was dealing with him for two offences of sexually abusing the child, one that reflected multiple occasions.

He had denied the allegations until the day a jury was to be sworn in to try him.

Briggs had touched the girl indecently and made sexualised comments to her. He had told her not to tell anyone else.

She was frightened of him and had since self-harmed and suffered with depression, Judge Hatton said.

Briggs must sign on the sex offender register for life and the judge made a Sexual Harm Prevention Order without limit of time.

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But the judge dismissed the claims and jailed Dwight Williams for a year

A judge shot down suggestions that a pervert broke the rules of a sex offenders' order due to his dyslexia.

Dwight Williams was slapped with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in December after being caught with indecent images of children, including some in the worst category of abuse.

But within weeks, the Loftus paedophile was caught breaching the order.

A judge shot down suggestions that a pervert broke the rules of a sex offenders' order due to his dyslexia.

Dwight Williams was slapped with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in December after being caught with indecent images of children, including some in the worst category of abuse.

But within weeks, the Loftus paedophile was caught breaching the order.

Go here for the latest reports and live updates from Teesside's courts

Teesside Crown Court heard on Tuesday how Williams was expected to declare any devices or equipment which could store images.

But when police turned up to check he was following the rules, he was arrested for four breaches.

Prosecuting, Rachel Masters said: "On February 1, police attended his home address to carry out a routine review as part of his sentence regime and asked for a inspection of his devices.

"He pointed out a number of different devices including a Playstation, hard drive and a laptop."

But a search then revealed two USB sticks and a mobile phone, which he had not declared.

"The mobile phone was checked and it was established he had been using Snapchat," said Ms Masters.

"He had sent and received in excess of 1,000 which had been deleted."

As the Snapchat app automatically deletes the images and messages after they have been read, it was impossible to see what had been posted.

And Williams had therefore been banned from using the app.

The court also heard he had been cautioned prior to this offending by failing to register one of his aliases.

Williams, of High Street in Loftus, admitted the four breaches of the order.

Kelleigh Lodge, defending, said he was in stable accommodation and was "quite a religious individual who has tried to make use of that on remand".

She also said his dyslexia "takes him longer to understand certain things".

"He now seems to have a better understanding of the SHPO so that would hopefully prevent any futther offending in the future," she added.

Judge Jonathan Carroll said it was "a deliberate breach" and jailed Williams for a year and extended his SHPO by another five years.

He told him: "Police asked you to identify any relevant equipment or devices that linked up to the internet.

"Your dyslexia could not have impacted on your understanding of that."

He said Williams' offending had "driven a coach and horses" through the order which was aimed at safeguarding children.

"It's precisely why these orders are made and must be followed," he said.

"I do not accept any explanation that you did not understand what was required, you simply failed to comply with it."

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A TEACHER who was cleared of sexually touching pupils a North Yorkshire primary school over a decade ago has now been jailed for numerous child sex offences in Milton Keynes.

Neil Francis, aged 46, formerly of Conyers Road, East Cowton, North Yorkshire, was sentenced to nine years imprisonment at Amersham Crown Court on Tuesday February 8.

A jury found him guilty of 19 counts of sexual assault and eight counts of indecent assault.

The court heard that in the 2000s, Francis sexually and indecently assaulted 11 female pupils while working as a teacher at a school in Milton Keynes.

The offences were first reported to Thames Valley Police in December 2017 and Francis was charged on February 26 last year.

In June 2009 Francis was cleared at Teesside Crown Court of touching three girls aged under 13 at a North Yorkshire primary school in a sexual manner.

At the time, Francis was living in Ingleby Barwick, Stockton, and was suspended from the school he taught in after the allegations came to light.

But he wasnt arrested and told of the precise nature of the complaints until a year later.

And when the case went before Teesside Crown Court in June 2009 he was cleared on eight counts of sexual assault by a jury which deliberated for less than 45 minutes.

At the Teesside hearing, Judge Peter Armstrong criticised the unacceptable delays in the case being brought to court and questioned why it had taken two years from the point at which child witnesses were interviewed by police to the case being brought to trial.

Now that Francis has faced justice for his crimes in Milton Keynes, Detective Constable Michele Weston, of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit, based at Milton Keynes police station, said: This investigation has taken four years to complete and involved the tenacity of several police officers and members of staff.

This was a case where a teacher, who was in a position of trust, sexually abused 11 of his female pupils.

I have nothing but admiration for each and every one of those victims who took the time to come to court and tell the awful tale of what happened to them - they should be extremely proud of themselves.

I hope now that the victims can start to rebuild their lives with an assurance that they have played their part in protecting other vulnerable females from this defendant.

The jury also found Francis not guilty of one count of sexual assault and were discharged on two other counts of sexual assault, which will lie on file.

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A PAEDOPHILE whose sexual crimes spanned more than 40 years has been jailed.

David Weatherall, 62, abused a child for years, starting when she was young, said Kitty Colley, prosecuting.

The girl, now an adult, told York Crown Court his sexual acts had led to her trying to kill herself more than once as well as other physical and mental problems.

But she didnt go to police until Weatherall was prosecuted for having indecent images of children in 2019 and his case was reported in the media.

My only hope in coming forward is so I can seek closure for what I have suffered for many years, she said in a personal statement.

My life was stolen from me. Nothing will get those years back of compensate for the trauma I have suffered.

Weatherall, of Fossdale Close, Knaresborough, pleaded guilty on the day he was due to stand trial to four charges of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child.

He was jailed for three years and made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order which bans him from, among other things, having any contact with children under 16.

It is quite clear this offending shows your interest in children harks back some considerable time, said the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris.

Weatherall will be on the sex offenders register for life.

For Weatherall, Nick Cartmell said: He has managed to control whatever proclivity, whatever sexual interest he has.

"There has been no similar offending since.

The defence barrister suggested that Weatherall had used indecent images of children to cope with his continued interest in young girls and control his urges.

He urged the judge to suspend the sentence to enable Weatherall to keep his job, his relationship and his accommodation.

In 2019, the same court heard how police found long videos of young children being raped and sexually abused at Weatheralls home when they executed a search warrant there in 2017.

One video was 38 minutes long. The children were aged between six and 13 and Weatherall accepted he became sexually aroused when he watched them.

He admitted two charges of having indecent images of children.

Originally jailed for 10 months, the Court of Appeal suspended the sentence and reduced it to six months, taking into account the months he had spent in jail awaiting the appeal hearing.

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A MAN who raped and sexually abused a young girl has been jailed for 15 years.

York Crown Court heard how the child became separated from the rest of her family while out shopping in York.

Darren Lee James, 42, then took her down an alleyway by a shop.

There it was dark, and he carried his first sexual assault on her, York Crown Court heard.

A few days later, he raped her and carried out a serious sexual assault on her.

In a video recorded by police years after the abuse the victim said: I still feel frightened of him.

She was also angry about what had happened to her.

Last December, the jury heard how the girl initially didnt tell anyone what had happened to her.

But then she confided in a relative and told her and a social worker what James had done to her.

The jury heard how she had been scared that she would get into trouble.

James and the girl are not related.

This was a sustained incident on a particularly vulnerable complainant, Recorder Dapinder Singh QC said about the abuse.

He handed out a 15-year prison sentence. James will have an extra year of probation officer supervision after he finishes his prison sentence because his crimes make him an offender of particular concern.

He was put on the sex offenders register for life and also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order aimed at stopping him committing more sexual offences for an indefinite period.

James, of Thoresby Road, Acomb, denied rape and two charges of sexual assault but was convicted by a York jury at a trial last December.

For him, Amanda Johnson said: There is nothing I can say about the offences themselves.

She said she was not in a position where she could put forward any mitigation based on remorse by the defendant.

James had had a chequered upbringing and some difficulties in his life circumstances. His mother was standing by him.

At the time the offences took place, James was drinking to excess and was also taking so much cannabis he described himself as dependent about it.

He had lost his employment.

He was leading not the most healthy or productive of lives, she said.

He also had had long-standing mental health problems for which he was receiving anti-depressants from his GP.

In recent months, his mental health had deteriorated and she would arrange for prison staff to be told about mental health concerns for him.

Although James had convictions for four previous offences, he had none for sexual offences and had never been to prison before.

Members of both the girls family and James family were in court for the sentencing hearing.