JOHN HALL FROM NEW MILLS SENTENCED IN DERBY AND BUXTON FOR DECADES OF CHILD ABUSE AND ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING

In a series of harrowing legal proceedings spanning several years, John Hall, a man with a long history of sexual offenses against minors, has been subjected to multiple convictions and extended imprisonment. His latest sentencing occurred at Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday, February 16, where he received an additional three-year jail term for an attempted kidnapping that took place in 1977. This sentence is to be served consecutively alongside his existing 15-year sentence for historical abuse cases involving two boys.

Hall, now aged 70 and residing with no fixed abode, was already convicted in 2016 of over 90 charges related to indecent assaults on two boys under the age of 14. These offenses occurred in Hadfield between 1964 and 1971. The case was extensively covered in the Buxton Advertiser, and it was through a victim reading this report that new evidence emerged, prompting the victim to come forward and alert the police.

Detective Constable Steven Leatherbarrow expressed his appreciation for the victim’s bravery, stating, “It was extremely brave of this victim to come forward after suffering a terrifying ordeal at the hands of Hall. We are pleased that this additional sentence has brought a semblance of justice for the victim and has ensured Hall is held to account for what he has done. Given that this conviction occurred as a direct result of the victim reading a newspaper article about Hall’s 2016 sentencing, we’d now like to appeal to any other potential victims of Hall to come forward.”

Earlier, in May 2016, Hall was sentenced to 14 years in prison for a campaign of abuse that spanned over fifty years. The court heard that Hall, a resident of Jubilee Street, New Mills, began his predatory behavior during the 1960s and 1970s, with allegations suggesting he may have been involved in a paedophile ring at some point. His criminal history includes previous convictions for indecencies and buggery, highlighting a pattern of predatory conduct.

Judge Robert Egbuna, presiding over the case, remarked on Hall’s persistent pursuit of young males, emphasizing that his sexual misconduct had not diminished over the decades. The court found Hall guilty of a series of sexual assaults against two young men, with the jury convicting him on April 19 of multiple counts of indecent assault, gross indecency, and buggery. These offenses took place between October 1964 and September 1975, with Hall committing over 90 separate acts of abuse.

The first victim, who was aged seven to 15 during the abuse, was subjected to touching, oral sex, and witnessing Hall masturbate. The second victim, aged 12 to 15 at the time, endured similar acts, including being forced to touch Hall’s genitals, oral sex, and buggery. The court detailed the horrific nature of the abuse, noting that Hall’s actions left lasting scars on the victims.

Further complicating the case, Hall was recently convicted at High Peak Magistrates’ Court for breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order by having contact with a child without informing the child's parent of his status on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

Judge Egbuna did not hold back in condemning Hall’s actions, describing him as “evil” and recounting the details of the abuse. He detailed how Hall would leave a young victim alone in a bedroom, often intoxicated, and proceed to commit acts of sexual violence, including oral sex and buggery, with the victim recalling Hall’s smiling face during the assaults. The judge highlighted the devastating impact on the victims, with one experiencing uncontrollable trauma and the other wetting himself upon seeing Hall as an adult.

The court also reviewed Hall’s extensive criminal record, which includes convictions dating back to 1981 for buggery and indecent assault, as well as subsequent convictions in 1984, 1990, 1995, and 2001. The judge pointed out that Hall’s offending behavior began when he was just 17 years old and persisted over decades. Notably, between 1997 and 1999, Hall was involved in activities at his former flat in Droylsden, where other men sought to abuse children, leading to his imprisonment and the imposition of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

Concluding the sentencing, Judge Egbuna sentenced Hall to 14 years in custody, with a lifetime requirement to remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register. He commended Derbyshire Constabulary for their diligent handling of the case, acknowledging the trauma endured by the victims and the importance of justice being served for such heinous crimes.