E-scooter-riding predatory paedophile who terrorised children and Leeds community jailed for 24 years
A predatory paedophile who terrorised a community as he rode around Leeds on an electric scooter offering young girls rides before sexually assaulting them has been jailed.
Arrogant Karl Davison offered no defence at all and even refused to turn up for his week-long trial at Leeds Crown Court in February.
In the face of overwhelming DNA and CCTV evidence, the jury took just an hour to find him guilty of all five offences of sexual assaults on children.
He would entice them into taking rides on his scooter, and even pinned one girl down and removed her clothing as she tried to scream and get away.
During his sentencing hearing today, Davison was handed a 24-year sentence, made up of a 17-year jail term with a seven-year extended licence period due to his dangerousness.
Judge Simon Phillips KC told him: “You have created for yourself a comfortable story for which you abdicate responsibility for your own actions.
“It was premeditated, predatory and exploitative behaviour against five vulnerable children, seeking them out when they were unaccompanied by adults.
“You used your scooter to groom them into speaking with you and accepting your offer to take them for a ride. It was targeted, prolonged and persistent offending in the community.
“Children and their families will have felt a serious risk.”
Davison has previous convictions for making indecent images and GBH from 2015.
Over a two-day period in August last year, 43-year-old Davison rode around the Middleton area targeting young girls and offering them rides on his orange and black electric scooter.
He put his hand over the mouths of two victims to prevent them from screaming as he pulled at their underwear. His DNA was also later found on one girl’s underwear, and CCTV footage put him at the scene of his offending.
Despite this, he denied matters and then refused to leave his remand cell when it came to his trial.
During the trial, prosecutor Katherine Robinson told the jury that on the afternoon of August 6 last year, a call was first made to police that two girls had been stopped by Davison.
They had been playing in a field when he grabbed the hand of one youngster and rubbed it against his genitals.
She then ran and he then tried to put his hand down the waistband of the shorts of the second girl and pull them down. He put his hand over her mouth but her friend was able to drag her from his clutches.
On the same evening, a third girl was offered a ride on his scooter while playing with friends. One of the young boys asked for ride, but was refused, however the girl was asked by Davison if she wanted a ride.
She declined but Davison persuaded her. During the ride he put his hand down her underwear. She slapped him and ran away, alerting a neighbour. CCTV was also obtained leading up to that offence.
The next day, three children were playing near a tunnel that runs underneath the M62, when Davison approached them, offering to only give the young girl a ride.
He rode off with the girl stood in front of him, holding onto the handlebars. He then pretended to lose control and crash sending them both tumbling.
He pinned her down on her front and pulled her trousers down. She was able to kick him off, and tried to escape, but he grabbed her and put her back on the floor with his hand over her mouth as he pulled her underwear down.
He then touched her genitals before she was able to escape again and raise the alarm.
Finally, the police were informed of another incident earlier in the day on August 7, when Davison struck up a conversation with a 15-year-old and began to touch her leg before she walked away.
During those two days, concern among the community grew and as a result, increased police patrols were put in place.
Davison was subsequently arrested while riding around at 3.20am on August 8. He gave a false name and was on a different motorised scooter, but matched the description, Ms Robinson said.
The orange and black scooter was later recovered from his home on Turnberry Gardens, Tingley.
His home was searched and he was found to have 450 indecent images of children in category A, B and C, with A showing the most serious abuse.
Davison did admit three counts of making indecent images, but denied the five counts of sexual assault.
He was previously found to be suffering from schizophrenia, but doctors said he had no symptoms at the time of the offending.
Davison was handed an indefinite-length sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to allow his behaviour to be monitored.