NICHOLAS CLARKE SENTENCED IN BRADFORD AND HIPPERHOLME FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES

In January 2012, Bradford Crown Court delivered a stern warning to individuals involved in child molestation, emphasizing that such heinous crimes will inevitably lead to imprisonment. The court sentenced Nicholas Clarke, a 36-year-old man, to nine months behind bars after he was found guilty of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl.

Clarke, who resided in Bradford but had recently moved to The Drive in Hipperholme, was convicted of inciting the young girl to engage in sexual activity while in his vehicle. The incident occurred on an industrial estate last spring, where Clarke persistently pressured the girl to perform a sex act on him. During the court proceedings, prosecutor David Garnett revealed that the girl’s friend was present in the back of the vehicle at the time of the incident.

Further compounding his misconduct, Clarke sent the girl a series of explicit text messages, which included a photograph of his genitals. The police arrested Clarke in May of the previous year after one of the girl’s friends alerted authorities to his inappropriate behavior. Clarke subsequently pleaded guilty to two charges: inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and sending indecent images.

During the sentencing, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC addressed Clarke directly, condemning his actions as deliberate and predatory. The judge stated, “It was a deliberate, predatory act by a man who knew better and could not control his lust.” He emphasized the gravity of the offense, highlighting the trauma inflicted upon the young girl. The judge noted that the girl felt physically ill after the sexual act and was subsequently bombarded with further text messages from Clarke, which caused her significant distress and left lasting emotional scars.

Clarke’s defense lawyer, Stephen Couch, argued that his client’s behavior was out of character and expressed remorse for his actions. He explained that Clarke was under emotional strain at the time, as his father was gravely ill, and that he had taken advantage of the immature girl. “A dark shadow will hang over this man. He walks daily in shame of the wrong that he did,” Mr. Couch stated.

However, Judge Durham Hall made it clear that child molestation is an unforgivable offense. He sentenced Clarke to nine months in prison, stating, “The only sentence I can impose is one of immediate imprisonment.” The judge also ordered Clarke to register as a sex offender with the police for a period of ten years and imposed an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order to monitor his future conduct.

Following the case, Detective Constable Alan Sergeant of Bradford South CID commented on the severity of the sentence, saying, “The fact that this man has received a custodial sentence for what is a first offense simply underlines just how serious both the police and the courts view incidents of this nature.”