KENNETH THOMAS BRADFORD SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR ABDUCTION AND SEXUAL OFFENCES

In a case that has shocked the community of Bradford, Kenneth Thomas, a 45-year-old known sex offender, faces a potentially lifelong imprisonment after being convicted of a series of disturbing crimes involving a 14-year-old girl. The incident, which took place in October of the previous year, revealed a pattern of predatory behavior that has led to serious concerns about public safety and the protection of minors.

Thomas’s criminal actions began when he approached the young girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, at a bus stop in Cleckheaton while she was waiting for her school bus. According to court reports, Thomas initially claimed that his vehicle had broken down and asked her for assistance. The girl, showing kindness, helped him briefly before returning to her bus stop. However, when her bus failed to arrive, Thomas, who had managed to start his car, offered her a ride to school, which she accepted.

Once inside the vehicle, the prosecutor, Rupert Doswell, detailed how Thomas’s behavior became increasingly inappropriate. He touched her leg, began massaging her neck, and then proceeded to offer her drugs. During this ride, Thomas inquired about her relationship status and expressed intentions to teach her how to drive at a location he called “Lover’s Lane.”

Despite her protests and pleas to be taken back to her home or school, Thomas drove past her destination and instead took her to his residence on Brae Avenue in Bolton. Upon arrival, the girl initially stayed in the car, but Thomas enticed her inside by offering her a drink. The beverage was later found to contain vodka and amphetamines, indicating an attempt to intoxicate her.

As the girl contemplated fleeing, she eventually entered Thomas’s house and went into his bedroom. There, he locked the front door and showed her a photograph of a semi-naked woman. When she refused to remove her tights, Thomas insisted she lie on the bed and played her a pornographic DVD. The girl’s resistance was evident, but Thomas persisted in his inappropriate conduct.

Fortunately, her opportunity to escape arose when she persuaded Thomas to open the front door, allowing her to sit in his car. At that moment, two police officers from the child protection unit arrived at the house to conduct a routine check on Thomas, who was a registered sex offender. They observed the girl in the vehicle and promptly arrested Thomas.

During the court proceedings, Thomas maintained that his actions were not sexually motivated. However, prior to his trial scheduled for February, he pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including causing a child to watch a sexual act, child abduction, offering to supply Class B drugs, and administering substances such as amphetamines and alcohol.

His legal representative, Fiona Dix-Dyer, argued for a fixed-term sentence, asserting that a public protection order, which could effectively be a life sentence, was too harsh. She emphasized that there was no sexual contact with the girl in the bedroom. Nonetheless, Judge Peter Benson expressed grave concern about the risk Thomas posed to the public, especially given the escalation of his offending behavior.

In sentencing, Judge Benson imposed a term of six years and six months in prison, with the stipulation that Thomas serve half of that period before being eligible for parole. The judge also issued a sexual offences protection order, prohibiting Thomas from having unsupervised contact with children, working with minors, having children in his residence, or entering school grounds or playgrounds. Additionally, Thomas is mandated to register as a sex offender for life and to declare any vehicles he owns to the police.

Concluding the case, Judge Benson praised the police officers whose swift intervention likely prevented further harm to the girl. The sentence underscores the severity with which the justice system views such predatory conduct and highlights ongoing efforts to protect vulnerable minors from repeat offenders.