WAKEFIELD SEX OFFENDER JOHN SMALES SENTENCED TO 33 YEARS FOR HISTORIC CHILD SEX ABUSE
In a case that has shocked the Wakefield community, John Smales, a 74-year-old man with a disturbing history of sexual offenses, has been handed a total prison sentence of 33 years after admitting to multiple heinous crimes committed against a young child.The offences, which spanned over five years during the 1980s, involved sexual assaults against a girl who was only five years old at the time.
Smales, who previously resided on Duke of York Avenue in Wakefield, appeared at Leeds Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to eight serious sexual assault charges.
The court heard that these assaults took place over a prolonged period, causing immense trauma to the young victim.
As part of his sentence, Smales is required to serve a minimum of 25 years in prison, followed by an eight-year period of licence supervision.
This latest conviction adds to Smales’s already lengthy criminal record.
In December 2017, he was sentenced to 24 years behind bars for sexual offenses committed against two other girls.
Those crimes spanned across the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and the sentence was handed down after he pleaded guilty to 15 counts of sexual assault.
The recent case came to light after the victim, now an adult, approached the Wakefield Child Safeguarding Unit in January 2018 to report the abuse she endured as a child.
Her decision to come forward was influenced by her recollection of Smales’s conviction in 2017, which she had seen in the news.
Her bravery in speaking out has been instrumental in ensuring justice is served.
Detective Inspector Vanessa Rolfe of the Wakefield Child Safeguarding Team expressed her support for the victims, emphasizing the importance of their courage.
She stated, “Both victims have made their first disclosures to the police as adults but gave evidence about the huge impact that these offences had on their childhood and throughout their adult lives so far.
They have shown immense courage and bravery in coming forward to report these crimes, and I hope that the conclusion of this case can provide them with some form of closure.” Smales’s criminal history is a stark reminder of the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to pursue justice for victims of historic abuse.
His case is not isolated; it follows recent convictions such as that of Robert Jarrett, a 50-year-old man from Hemsworth, who was sentenced to 15 years for crimes against two young girls dating back to 2004.
The community and authorities continue to work tirelessly to bring such offenders to justice, regardless of how much time has passed since the crimes occurred.
