BULWELL MAN CONVICTED OF CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULT
A Nottingham man has been found guilty of carrying out sex acts on a young boy.Following a four-day trial at Nottingham Crown Court, a jury of nine men and three women took more than five hours to unanimously convict Graham Occleshaw of four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and one count of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
The 54-year-old, of Bulwell, showed little emotion when the verdicts were delivered on Thursday, April 17.
The judge adjourned the sentencing until June 13, with a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
Occleshaw’s defence claimed the boy was 'coerced and manipulated' into giving his account, denying any sexual contact himself.
Prosecutor Paul Prior accused Occleshaw of having 'a significant degree of control' over the victim and grooming him.
The victim reported the abuse to his father in 2021, leading to police investigation and Occleshaw's arrest.
The acts involved multiple incidents over some time, as described by the prosecutor, with the first alleged incident involving the boy being awoken while on a sofa, where Occleshaw was accused of pulling down the boy's trousers and touching him sexually.
Occleshaw denied these allegations, maintaining the boy was manipulated.
He has no previous convictions, and the starting point for sentencing, related to sexual assault of a child under 13, is four years in prison, with a potential range of three to seven years.
The case also drew attention as Occleshaw's home was vandalised shortly after the verdict.
The victim remains anonymous for life.
