NATHAN WHITEHEAD SENTENCED FOR CHILD RAPE IN MILNSBRIDGE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Milnsbridge, Nathan Whitehead, aged 28, has been sentenced to a decade behind bars after a harrowing revelation of his crimes was brought to light through a series of text message exchanges with his young victim.

The abuse began when the girl, whose identity remains protected, was only 11 years old. It was only after she turned 16 that she found the courage to confront Whitehead about the sickening acts he had committed against her. The case was brought before Bradford Crown Court, where prosecutor Richard Gioserano detailed the chilling sequence of events.

According to Mr. Gioserano, the victim managed to put an end to the abuse early in 2010. However, the situation took a new turn in June of the same year when she received a seemingly innocuous text message from Whitehead that read: “Hi what are you up to?”

Seizing the opportunity to confront him, she responded with messages designed to elicit an admission. Over a span of two hours, the two exchanged numerous texts, during which Whitehead made a disturbing confession: “I got it wrong. I thought you liked it towards the end.”

The girl responded with a firm rebuke, stating, “No why would I. You’re 11 years older than me… you shouldn’t have touched me in the first place… it’s sick.” Whitehead, who resides on New Street in Milnsbridge, expressed remorse in his reply, saying, “I’m sorry for everything. I understand if you don’t want to talk to me. I’m sorry I got it so wrong.”

Bradford Crown Court heard that the victim eventually confided in her mother about the abuse. Following this disclosure, Whitehead voluntarily surrendered himself to the police in July. During police interviews, he denied having sexual relations with the girl before she turned 13. However, the prosecution presented evidence that Whitehead’s guilty pleas to three charges of rape encompassed nine separate incidents involving the girl when she was aged 11 and 12.

Although Whitehead had no prior criminal record, he was scheduled to face trial on additional allegations of sexual abuse. Nonetheless, he pleaded guilty to three specific charges of sexual activity with a minor after the age of 13, which the prosecution accepted.

Gillian Batts, Whitehead’s defense barrister, stated that her client had expressed remorse and apologized to both the girl and her mother. She noted that it was unusual for defendants in such cases to admit guilt at an early stage.

Judge James Stewart QC, the Honorary Recorder of Bradford, sentenced Whitehead to ten years in prison for the rape charges. Additionally, he received a concurrent three-year sentence for the sexual activity with a child offenses. The judge also imposed an indefinite sexual offences prevention order, which prohibits Whitehead from contacting the victim and restricts his unsupervised access to any minors under 18. Furthermore, Whitehead is mandated to register as a sex offender with the police for the remainder of his life, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities.