AARON SHARP FROM BRADFORD AND LONDON SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE AND PORNOGRAPHY

In a case that has shocked the community and highlighted the severity of child exploitation, Aaron Sharp, a 30-year-old man with ties to both Bradford and London, was sentenced for heinous crimes involving the abuse and exploitation of young children. The Bradford Crown Court heard harrowing details of Sharp’s criminal activities, which included filming himself sexually assaulting two young girls, one of whom was merely a toddler.

Prosecutor Rupert Doswell revealed that Sharp, who previously worked in children’s play groups, had left his employment after developing inappropriate interests in minors. The criminal investigation was triggered when Sharp’s lodger discovered disturbing images on his computer earlier this year. Further police searches of Sharp’s residence uncovered DVDs and CDs, some of which bore the names of children, indicating a disturbing pattern of exploitation.

During the court proceedings, it was disclosed that the lodger had overheard Sharp making unsettling comments about children on television, such as: “They’d be worth getting caught for,” which added to the evidence against him. The police investigation uncovered a total of 637 pornographic images and videos, many of which were described by Judge John Potter as “extremely upsetting.”

Sharp had previously pleaded guilty to 17 charges related to these images. In addition, he requested that ten other offences be taken into consideration during sentencing. These additional charges involved images of two other young girls, both under the age of five at the time the photographs were taken in 2005. The court was told that Sharp’s deviant behaviour had escalated over the years, beginning in 2005 and continuing until 2010.

Judge Potter condemned Sharp’s actions, describing the material as evidence of “planned and systematic abuse” of children on numerous occasions. The judge emphasized the profound psychological harm inflicted on the victims, stating, “This evil, depraved and degrading behaviour, I have little doubt, will have left significant psychological scars on your victims. You have condemned them to future unhappiness which will, I can see, require the assistance, support and counselling of others.”

As a result of his crimes, Sharp was sentenced to an indeterminate sentence for public protection. He is required to serve a minimum of three years before a further assessment of his dangerousness can be conducted. The court also imposed a lifelong sexual offences prevention order, or until further notice, to restrict his activities and monitor his behaviour.

Judge Potter concluded by stating, “You will remain in custody until you are no longer a danger to others. This could be for the rest of your life, or it may be for a lesser period.”

Detective Constable Kirsty Hall, of the Eccleshill Child and Public Protection Unit, praised the efforts of law enforcement, saying, “A lot of hard work and meticulous investigation was undertaken by officers in the department to ensure this successful conclusion.”