Ryhill man sentenced to 23 years for child sexual offences

A Ryhill man has been given a 23-year sentence after being convicted for decades worth of sexual offending against teenage boys.

Russell Bradshaw, 55, from Ryhill was sentenced to 17 years and two months in prison with six years extended licence at Leeds Crown Court today (20 February 2018) after pleading guilty to 15 separate sexual offences including indecent assault and gross indecency.

Bradshaw was convicted of sexual offences against four underage teenage boys which took place over periods in the 1980’s, in 2001 and between 2016-2017 in the Wakefield and wider Pontefract areas.

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The 55-year-old will also have to register on the sex offenders register for life.

He came to police attention in 2017 after a member of the public raised concerns with Wakefield Police.

An investigation was launched and resulted in Bradshaw being arrested by Wakefield District safeguarding detectives.

Detective Inspector Charlie Manson of Wakefield District Child Safeguarding said: “We are very pleased to see Bradshaw given such a significant prison sentence today after he pleaded guilty to multiple sexual offences spanning several decades.

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“He abused multiple victims, sometimes over sustained periods, and clearly poses a significant and continuing risk to young people.

“It took real courage for his victims to support our enquiry in the way they did and I wish to commend their bravery. Thankfully they were speared the ordeal of a trial by Bradshaw’s decision to plead guilty.”

He added: “Protecting victims of sexual offending and prosecuting those responsible for offences remains a top priority at Wakefield District CID and we continue to urge victims of offences both recent and historic, who may have never reported what happened to them, to come forwards and contact us on 101.

“We will always investigate and do all we can to put people like Bradshaw behind bars.”

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