William Harrison 63

Description

A convicted sex offender bought sweets for two eight-year-old girls and then offered them money to get in his car, a court has heard.

William Harrison, 63, approached the two girls at a branch of Asda in Shipley in September 2022.

Bradford Crown Court heard how, after paying for the sweets, Harrison walked the girls to his car where he showed them an explicit photo on his phone before offering them both £5 to get into the vehicle.

Harrison, of Armstrong Street, Bradford, was jailed on Thursday for four years after he admitted charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and child abduction.

'Troubling material'

During the hearing it was revealed he had previously been jailed nearly 20 years ago for sexual assault on a lone female at Morley railway station and further offences of exposure and outraging public decency involving teenage girls.

Passing sentence, Recorder Anthony Hawks said Harrison had “troubling” sexual material on his mobile phone and that he had used the pretext of the sweets to get the girls to accompany him to his car.

“You offered them money to get in your car," said Recorder Hawks.

"Very sensibly they refused."

After jailing Harrison, the judge also imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and told the defendant that he would have to comply with a restraining order for an unlimited time.

Harrison will also be on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

Following the hearing, Det Insp Tom Swift of West Yorkshire Police praised the victim's "bravery", adding: “Incidents of this nature are very rare, but this was truly every parent's worst nightmare.

"Harrison is a danger to children.

“Fortunately, these girls weren’t hurt, but were clearly distressed about what happened."