Leeds man jailed for series of child sexual offences

A Leeds man has been jailed for nine and a half years after he was found guilty of a number of child sex offences.
Richard TurnerRichard Turner
Richard Turner

Richard Turner, 47, of Victoria Road, Hyde Park, Leeds has also been issued with an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Turner pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to ten counts of child sexual offences including five counts of sexual assault on a child under 13, three charges of possessing indecent images of a child and two charges of taking indecent images of children.

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Turner’s crimes were discovered during an investigation by North Yorkshire Police.

Officers carried out a search of Turner’s former home in Catterick Garrison in May 2018 where they discovered over 100,000 child abuse images and the lower half of a child-like sex doll.

Following this, Turner was arrested.

At the time of his arrest, Turner was working at a nursery after he left the army in 2012 after serving for 20 years.

North Yorkshire Police have confirmed that Turner’s offences were not linked to any of the organisations he worked for.

Turner was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on 12 August.

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North Yorkshire Police Detective Inspector Eamonn Clarke, said: “Turner’s sentence reflects the severity of his offences which will impact on his victims for the rest of their lives, both those he has directly abused and those whose pictures he has held in his possession.

“Children’s safety is of the upmost importance and they should be protected at all times from those who want to abuse them. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure children are kept safe and I would urge anyone with concerns to contact the police or one of the many other agencies who can help.

"If you have been the victim of sexual abuse, whether it is happening now or in the past, please contact the police. Even if it is not possible to put an offender before the courts, it’s important that you are offered the support and advice that is available. Your information could also help to protect other victims and help the police form a wider picture of offending.

"We appreciate that telling the police what has happened takes courage. It is not easy reliving such distressing situations. We understand this and have specially trained officers who will guide you through the process as well as signposting you to other agencies who can help you.

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"Child sexual abuse and exploitation is a foremost priority for all police forces and all reports will be fully investigated. Please do not suffer alone, if you have been abused, please report it.

"To report a sexual crime to the police call 101

"If you are in immediate danger, always call 999

"If you prefer not to go direct to the police and you are not in immediate danger, you can contact a sexual assault referral centre (SARC) in your area. Bridge House, North Yorkshire’s SARC can be contacted on 01904 669339.

"Childline 24-hour helpline 0800 1111

"NSPCC’s online safety helpline on 0800 800 5002

"If you are worried about a child, call the NSPCC’s helpline: 0800 800 5000"