Robert Cross 36

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A known pervert who sexually assaulted a teenage boy repeatedly at his home has been jailed after a trial.

Defiant Robert Cross continues to deny wrongdoing, but a jury at Leeds Crown Court convicted him of seven counts of sexual activity with a child dated between 2008 and 2011.

The trial, which lasted a week in early February, heard that Cross was around 19 himself when the abuse started, and the boy was about 13.

Cross is already a registered as a sex offender having been found guilty of child-sex offences in 2019 including sexual assault on a female child.

The male victim came forward to report the abuse in 2021 which led to Cross being arrested later that year.

He had confessed to the youngster at the time that he was bi-sexual and asked if he could touch him, despite the boy not being old enough to give consent. He also grabbed the boy’s hand and made him touch Cross in return.

Judge Howard Crowson told Cross: “He was far too young to involved in any sexual relationship, but you were old enough to know.”

They exchanged messages and arranged for the boy to visit him.

The court heard that Cross masturbated the boy and vice versa on more than five occasions and and they engaged in other sex acts.

As part of the investigation, officers were able to trace an old Facebook message from 2016 in which Cross admitted the offending and made efforts to distance himself from his offending and the victim.

Despite his denials, his barrister Jessica Strange said that he accepted he faced a “lengthy custodial sentence”.

Cross, of Queens Drive, Wrenthorpe, appeared for sentencing this week from HMP Leeds where he was being held on remand.

Judge Crowson jailed him for nine years and told him he must serve at least two-thirds of the sentence before being considered for release, rather than the usual half-way stage.

He was also put on the sex offender register for life and given a lifelong sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Leading the investigation, Detective Sergeant Will Denton, of Wakefield District Child Safeguarding, said: “Firstly, and most importantly, I want to thank the victim in this case for his immense bravery in coming forward to report the abuse he suffered, as well as his strength and dignity throughout the criminal justice process.

“Cross preyed upon and exploited him knowing that he was a vulnerable child, and I hope the sentence handed down today serves as a clear reminder that this abhorrent behaviour will not be tolerated.

"I am in no doubt that Cross, is a danger to children. Twice, he has been found guilty of exploiting vulnerable children. The streets of Wakefield and West Yorkshire are safer with him behind bars.

“I hope that this case helps encourage anybody who has suffered similar offences, recent or not, to come forward and report them to us.”