PAUL SHEARD FROM WORCESTER SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES IN WORCESTER

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Worcester, Paul Sheard, a 54-year-old man, has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term after being found guilty of heinous crimes involving a young girl. The incident came to light when police officers seized Sheard’s mobile phone and uncovered a disturbing photograph depicting the private parts of a young girl, which he had taken himself during an act of sexual activity.

Sheard claimed that the explicit image was taken during an encounter with a woman and insisted that he did it “for fun.” However, the evidence presented in court painted a far more troubling picture. A medical expert specializing in child abuse cases confirmed that the girl involved was a school-aged child, estimated to be between nine and twelve years old. This revelation was crucial in establishing the severity of the offense.

Following a jury trial in January, Sheard was convicted of child rape and the possession of an indecent photograph. The judge presiding over the case, Judge Toby Hooper QC, ordered that Sheard serve a minimum of five and a half years in prison before he could be considered for parole. The judge emphasized that Sheard would only be released once the parole board deemed him to no longer pose a threat to the public.

During sentencing, Judge Hooper described Sheard as someone with “an entrenched sexual attraction” to young girls. The court heard that Sheard was adept at grooming young victims, often enticing them with offers to attend football matches and buying them gifts, tactics that demonstrated a calculated approach to his offending behavior. The court also noted that Sheard had a prior conviction from the year 2000, when he was jailed for 12 months for engaging in sexual activities with a 13-year-old girl. Authorities found that he had been abusing his victim for a period of two years, with nine other similar offenses taken into account during his sentencing.

In addition to his prison sentence, Sheard was issued a sexual offences prevention order, which prohibits him from having any contact with girls under the age of 16 upon his release. He is also required to sign the sex offenders’ register for life, a measure designed to monitor and restrict his movements and interactions with minors. The judge expressed concern that Sheard showed little understanding of the harm caused by his actions, even claiming that his current victim had initiated the abuse.

The court commended West Mercia Police and the Crown Prosecution Service for their meticulous investigation, which avoided the trauma of a jury hearing the victim’s testimony in person at Hereford Crown Court. Prosecutor Gareth Walters revealed that Sheard’s phone contained text messages directed at the girl, including disturbing comments about wanting to bite her 11 times and “bite you all over because it’s your birthday.” These messages were brought to police attention by an older girl who reported them in May of the previous year.

During the hearing, defense lawyer Mary Loram acknowledged that Sheard had lied about the girl’s age but admitted that he now accepted she was under 13. She also expressed that Sheard was terrified of the prospect of serving a lengthy prison sentence, highlighting the gravity of his crimes and the impact on his victim and the community of Worcester.