DAVID HEMSLEY: QUEENSBURY PAEDOPHILE STRIKES AT YORKSHIRE CRICKET CLUB

In October 2014, a disturbing case emerged involving David Hemsley, a man with a long history of child exploitation offenses, who committed heinous acts at the Yorkshire Cricket Club in Leeds. Hemsley, a 49-year-old resident of Union House Lane, Queensbury, was found to have a deeply entrenched paedophilic past that spanned over a decade, yet he managed to secure volunteer positions at the cricket ground under false pretenses.

Hemsley's criminal record includes a series of child pornography offenses dating back to 1999. Despite these convictions, he falsely claimed on his application form to the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation that he had no previous convictions, a lie that allowed him to work as a volunteer “meeter and greeter” on ten separate occasions. These roles, which he obtained after ticking a box indicating no criminal history, provided him with unmonitored access to children attending the cricket events.

The situation came to light when a fellow volunteer raised concerns about Hemsley's behavior. A subsequent Google search revealed his troubling criminal past, which included a breach of a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) just days before he submitted his application. The SOPO, imposed in September 2011, was part of a three-year community order following his cyber-sex relationship with a 15-year-old girl in the Far East. This relationship involved explicit webcam exchanges and posed a significant risk to children.

During a hearing at Bradford Crown Court, it was disclosed that Hemsley's past was only uncovered after staff members at the cricket club expressed suspicion. When questioned about his application, Hemsley claimed to have ticked the wrong box and admitted he had not disclosed his volunteer work to the officer monitoring his compliance with the SOPO. Prosecutor Andrew Horton detailed that between May 16 and July 25 of that year, Hemsley worked at Headingley Cricket Ground on ten occasions, accessing social media platforms like Facebook despite being prohibited from doing so.

Hemsley's breaches of the SOPO led to his sentencing. He was sentenced to a total of 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to four breaches, including working at the cricket ground and accessing Facebook. His defense lawyer, Adam Walker, argued that Hemsley's low moods increased his risk of offending and that he genuinely wanted to participate in the cricket volunteer role to enjoy free access to matches. Walker suggested that a suspended sentence might serve as a constructive outcome, despite the probation service indicating no further treatment options were available.

However, Judge Jonathan Rose was unequivocal in his assessment. He described Hemsley as “an entrenched paedophile,” emphasizing that his past convictions, reports, and current offenses demonstrated a persistent pattern of predatory behavior. The judge criticized Hemsley's refusal to accept help and dismissed his claim that low self-esteem was the driving force behind his offending, labeling it an inadequate explanation. The court found that Hemsley had deliberately lied on his application, fully aware that his criminal history would prevent him from obtaining the volunteer position had the truth been disclosed.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court revoked Hemsley's community order and imposed a six-month term for making and distributing indecent images of children. He was also sentenced to nine months for breaching the SOPO by accessing Facebook and an additional 18 months for the breach related to his work at the cricket club. Furthermore, the court imposed a lifetime SOPO and ordered Hemsley to re-register as a sex offender upon his release from prison, underscoring the severity of his violations and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.