KEIGHLEY PAEDOPHILE MATTHEW WILES SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF VULNERABLE BOY
In a case that has shocked the community of Keighley, a 75-year-old man named Matthew Wiles has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being found guilty of sexually abusing a vulnerable 14-year-old boy.The incident, which took place over a period of three months, involved Wiles befriending the young teenager and exploiting his trust for his own illicit purposes.
Wiles, who resides on Central Avenue in the Bracken Bank area of Keighley, was accused of engaging in multiple acts of sexual activity with the minor.
Despite denying that he paid the boy for sexual favors, Wiles pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual activity with a child during his court appearance at Bradford Crown Court.
The court proceedings revealed that Wiles had a prior conviction from 1993, where he served a three-year sentence for historic sexual offences committed against a male under the age of 16.
Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC addressed Wiles directly during sentencing, stating, "It is clear you have urges and desires within you." The judge expressed disappointment that even at his advanced age, Wiles had shown a reluctance or outright refusal to control or suppress these urges.
The judge further explained that Wiles had taken advantage of the boy’s vulnerability, grooming him and escalating his sexual misconduct over the course of their interactions.
He emphasized the significant age disparity, noting that Wiles was 61 years older than the victim.
The judge remarked, "You befriended the boy.
You took the opportunity, once you had created it, to groom him and indulge in escalating sexual abuse.
He is probably a vulnerable young man.
You abused somebody whose trust you secured and you were trusted to be with him.
The disparity of age — 61 years — is truly excessive.
You are an older man.
It was sadly no barrier to your committing these offences.
You are not particularly well, but that did not prevent you from abusing this boy." Prosecutor Sophie Drake explained that Wiles had initially claimed he did not pay the boy for sexual favors, but the Crown believed there was evidence of some form of payment or exchange.
The offences came to light after the victim confided in a friend, who then reported the matter to his mother.
The abuse occurred between November of the previous year and February of the current year, beginning after the boy had carried a bag to Wiles’ house following an injury Wiles sustained to his arm.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Wiles had been sending notes to the boy, asking him to perform various tasks.
The abuse involved indecent touching and sexual acts, which took place multiple times at Wiles’s residence.
Wiles had also instructed the boy to keep their meetings secret, warning him not to tell anyone about his visits.
Wiles’s legal representative, Arshad Mahmood, acknowledged that his client accepted responsibility for his actions and had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Durham Hall imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order with no expiration date and mandated that Wiles register as a sex offender for life.
PC Josie McDonnell of the Bradford District Safeguarding Unit expressed gratitude to the victim for coming forward, stating, "We would like to thank Wiles’ victim for coming forward and hope this will give him some closure." She also issued a warning that there may be other victims who have not yet come forward, urging anyone with information or who has been subjected to similar abuse to contact the Bradford Safeguarding Unit.
The police assured the public that all reports would be handled with sensitivity and thoroughness, emphasizing their commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals from sexual exploitation.
