MICHAEL HUNT FROM TODMORDEN SENTENCED IN IRELAND FOR CHILD ABUSE OFFENSES

In a significant case that spanned multiple jurisdictions, Michael Thomas Hunt, aged 42 and formerly residing in Cornholme, Todmorden, has been sentenced to eight years in prison after being extradited from Ireland to face justice for a series of serious child abuse offenses.

The court heard that Hunt was responsible for the systematic sexual abuse of two young boys, beginning in the year 2000 when one was just 11 years old and the other was 10. The abuse primarily took place during bath times, with Hunt assaulting the boys on multiple occasions. Prosecutor Ian Howard detailed that Hunt committed five counts of indecent assault and five counts of gross indecency involving the children.

Judge Robert Bartfield, presiding over the case at Bradford Crown Court, expressed his condemnation of Hunt’s actions, stating, “You have done real damage to these boys.” He emphasized that the offenses committed by Hunt were at the upper end of the severity scale. The judge also highlighted the prolonged nature of the abuse, which continued until February 2002, when Hunt left Todmorden.

The case came to public attention in 2003 after the victims confided in a relative, leading to an investigation. Hunt was eventually located in Ireland, where authorities arrested him in 2005. During the investigation, police seized naked photographs of Hunt, revealing a disturbing obsession that was rooted in his own history of childhood sexual abuse.

Hunt, who was described as having no fixed address, claimed that his actions were motivated by a misguided attempt to help the boys, who had also been previously abused by others. His defense lawyer, James Ward, argued that Hunt believed he was aiding the victims, despite the bizarre and inappropriate nature of his conduct. Ward acknowledged Hunt’s belief that his actions were motivated by a desire to assist, although this explanation was met with skepticism by the court.

Judge Bartfield was unequivocal in his judgment, stating, “Dressing it up with a lot of psychological claptrap does not seem to help very much.” The judge further declared Hunt to be an ongoing danger to children and ordered that he be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register. Additionally, Hunt was banned for life from having any unsupervised contact with minors, reflecting the court’s concern for public safety and the protection of vulnerable children.