JOHN RADLEY, THE DANGEROUS CHIPPEHAM PAEDOPHILE, ARRESTED IN STOCKPORT NEAR LONDON

On November 13th, 2012, authorities successfully apprehended John Radley, a notorious child sex offender who had been on the run since his conviction in Chippenham. Radley was located on that Friday at an address in Stockport, a town near Manchester, after an extensive manhunt. Currently, he is hospitalized, but plans are underway to bring him back to Swindon Crown Court for sentencing as soon as his medical condition permits.

Radley's criminal history dates back to the early 1980s when he began abusing a young girl in Chippenham, a market town in Wiltshire. Over several years, he repeatedly assaulted her, and at one point attempted to rape her when she was just 14 years old. Fortunately, she managed to fight him off during that attack. His offending did not stop there; after a significant gap of more than ten years, Radley targeted another young girl, approximately 11 years old, whom he groped. His pattern of predatory behavior persisted into the 2000s, culminating in his abuse of a 14-year-old boy in 2008, whom he met after giving him rides to school.

Radley's actions included sending suggestive text messages and sexually abusing the boy, who was vulnerable and impressionable. The judge overseeing his case described the profound impact Radley's crimes had on his victims, noting that the young boy was left questioning his sexuality after being corrupted by the much older man. Radley's criminal record includes charges of attempted rape, indecency with a child, multiple indecent assaults, sexual assaults of children under thirteen, and numerous sexual activities with minors. Despite denying all allegations, Radley's guilt was established by a jury at Swindon Crown Court.

Radley's absence from court on the final day of his trial prompted a warrant for his arrest. The jury had already convicted him of all 16 charges, and the court was informed that Radley had failed to appear before the verdicts were read. His disappearance led to a nationwide search, which was highlighted on the BBC's Crimewatch program that week. Judge Douglas Field, presiding over the case, sentenced Radley in his absence, emphasizing the danger he posed to the public. The judge declared Radley a 'dangerous predatory paedophile' and imposed an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection. Radley was also ordered to serve at least six and a half years before being eligible for parole.

Radley, a grandfather and former taxi driver, was found to have kept two notebooks containing highly disturbing and graphic writings about child abuse, many of which were written from the perspective of a woman. These notebooks included the names of his victims and were considered evidence of his dangerous nature. The judge stated that, considering his entire offending history and these writings, Radley was undeniably a threat to society. Had he received a fixed-term sentence, it would have been 13 years, with parole eligibility after half that period. Radley, who provided an address in Finsbury Park, London, was also prohibited from working with children and mandated to register as a sex offender for life.

Authorities urge anyone with information regarding Radley's whereabouts or activities to contact Wiltshire Police at 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111, in an effort to prevent further harm and ensure public safety.