JOSHUA MARTIN, HUDDERSFIELD PAEDOPHILE, SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES AGAINST 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN HUDDERSFIELD

In March 2025, a disturbing case unfolded involving Joshua Martin, a 26-year-old man from Huddersfield, who was convicted of multiple sexual offences against a young girl. The case revealed a pattern of manipulation, grooming, and abuse that spanned several months, highlighting the grave dangers posed by individuals with a history of sexual offending.

Martin, who resided on Whitehead Lane in the Primrose Hill area of Huddersfield, had previously been registered as a sex offender due to prior convictions. His latest crimes involved a schoolgirl who was only 13 years old at the time. The girl was introduced to Martin through a mutual friend when she was just 13, and their interactions soon took a sinister turn.

According to the court proceedings, the girl first met Martin when she was at McDonald's with her friend. After this initial encounter, she began communicating with him via Snapchat. Despite knowing her age from the outset, Martin continued to engage with her, fostering a relationship that would later be characterized as grooming. Over approximately three months, the girl and Martin exchanged messages, with Martin inviting her to his flat. During this period, he manipulated her into lying to his friends about her age, insisting she tell them she was 19 when she met them.

Prosecutor Kitty Colley detailed the disturbing nature of the relationship, stating, “The girl told officers at the outset of the interview, ‘he has been talking to me, making me feel there is no one there, no one who cares, more than other people. He manipulated me to make me feel like I love him’.” She further explained that the girl first met Martin while she was out with her friend at McDonald's, and that she later messaged him on Snapchat. Despite knowing her true age, Martin continued to pursue her, and their communication lasted for around three months before she agreed to meet him at his flat.

Once at Martin’s residence, the court heard that he subjected the girl to sexual abuse on approximately 15 separate occasions. Each time, the girl experienced a sense of unease and a “gut feeling” that something was wrong, yet she felt powerless to stop the abuse. She confided in officers that she was scared because Martin was an adult, and she knew that if she were with someone her own age, she wouldn’t feel the same fear. On one occasion, she vomited during the abuse, and on another, Martin told her, “If you want to stop, I will stop but it isn’t helpful to me.”

Throughout the interviews, the girl expressed her distress, stating, “I was scared because he was an adult and I knew if I was doing it with someone my own age, I wouldn’t feel like that.” She also revealed that Martin had pressured her into lying about her age, and that her parents believed she was visiting a friend for short periods, sometimes up to 48 hours.

Martin’s arrest was prompted by a friend who reported concerns to the police about his relationship with an underage girl. During police interviews, Martin made disturbing admissions, saying, “Can we get this over with please as it’s making me look like the bad guy. I know she’s 14, she wanted it as much as me, I’m not the only one to blame.” He also admitted to four counts of sexual activity with a child and failing to comply with notification requirements, having previously been convicted in 2021 for possession of pseudo images of a child.

Her Honour Judge Rayfield sentenced Martin to eight years in prison. In her remarks, she emphasized the gravity of his actions, stating, “You embarked upon a sexual relationship with a girl. Except, it wasn’t a proper relationship because she was a child and you were an adult. She was just 13 when you began to engage in sexual activity.” The judge expressed her belief that Martin’s sexual attraction was directed towards girls aged 13 to 15, as evidenced by his prior convictions. She also imposed a restraining order to prevent any further contact with the victim.

Overall, the case underscores the importance of vigilance and the need for robust measures to protect vulnerable minors from predatory individuals like Joshua Martin, whose actions have caused significant harm and distress to the young girl involved.