CHRISTOPHER BATES SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR ATTACK NEAR BISHOP AUCKLAND AND SPENNYMOOR

In a chilling case that has sent shockwaves through the community near Bishop Auckland and Spennymoor, Christopher Bates, a 37-year-old sex offender, has been handed a life sentence after attempting to assault a teenage girl in Eldon Woods. The incident, which took place on April 10, has been described as a heinous act that has left a lasting scar on the victim and her family.

According to reports from Durham Police, Bates approached the young girl under the guise of being lost in the woods, a tactic that initially seemed innocent but quickly turned sinister. The attacker’s actions escalated when he performed a sex act on himself in front of the girl, then proceeded to drag her to the ground with the apparent intent to assault her. Despite the girl’s desperate protests, claiming she was only 10 years old, Bates dismissed her warnings with a callous