SANDABACH SEX OFFENDERS SIMON BODILY AND TIMOTHY READ SENTENCED FOR GROOMING AND SEXUAL OFFENCES

In a disturbing series of events that have shocked the community of Sandbach, two convicted sex offenders, Simon Bodily and Timothy Read, have been sentenced to prison after a series of heinous crimes involving underage girls. The incidents, which took place in and around Sandbach, have highlighted serious concerns about the safety of vulnerable youths and the effectiveness of local detention facilities.

According to court proceedings held at Chester Crown Court, Bodily, aged 21, received a sentence of 32 months in prison. His co-defendant, Timothy Read, aged 20, was sentenced to nine months at a Young Offenders Institute. Both men had previously been known to authorities and had connections to a controversial bail hostel in Sandbach, where their friendship reportedly began.

The court heard how Bodily and Read targeted a group of schoolgirls at Sandbach Railway Station. They engaged the girls in conversations, during which they showed them indecent images on their mobile phones. Bodily, who was staying at the local bail hostel, was found to be subject to a Sex Offenders Prevention Order, a legal restriction meant to prevent reoffending. It was also revealed that Read had previously received a caution in 2010 for having sex with a 14-year-old girl, raising concerns about his past behavior and the adequacy of the caution.

Judge Roger Dutton delivered a stern judgment, condemning the actions of both offenders. He emphasized that their intent was to take sexual advantage of the young girls, who were unaware of Bodily’s status as a sex offender and the restrictions placed upon him. The judge pointed out that Read’s prior caution for a sex offense was a worrying indicator of his potential for reoffending. The court detailed how the two men, who had met in Linden Bank Bail Hostel, began their inappropriate interactions with the girls, aged 12 and 13, at Sandbach Railway Station.

During the incident on November 20 of the previous year, Read approached the girls along with Bodily and another convicted sex offender. They sat on a bench and started a conversation, during which Read displayed explicit images, including photographs of his newborn baby and, shockingly, images of his exposed genitals. Bodily then suggested that the girls perform indecent acts and even have sex with them, a proposal that was met with distress and fear.

The court was told that the girls, overwhelmed and distressed by the encounter, found it difficult to forget what had happened. One of the victims expressed that she was still haunted by the incident, experiencing stress, guilt, and difficulty sleeping, which was affecting her academic performance.

In his defense, Read’s lawyer, Nicholas Wood, argued that his client was ‘immature’ and had been influenced by the environment of the bail hostel, which was filled with individuals with a history of sex offenses. He described Read’s background, noting that he had been in and out of care since the age of five and that he now recognized the foolishness of his actions.

Judge Dutton was unequivocal in his condemnation, stating that Bodily showed a blatant disregard for the girls’ ages and the seriousness of his actions. He remarked that Bodily appeared to treat the proceedings with contempt, even smirking when found guilty. Both men were subjected to a Sexual Prevention Order, which prohibits them from working with children, and they are now banned from any employment that involves contact with minors.

Earlier in April, Timothy Read was found guilty of inciting a 13-year-old girl to perform sexual acts and of indecent exposure. The jury took only 20 minutes to reach a verdict after a three-day trial. Read’s actions, which included sexually touching one of the girls twice and coercing her into performing a sex act, were described as predatory and calculated. The court heard how the victims, still in school uniforms, met with Bodily and Read on separate occasions, with Bodily persistently pestering the girls and forcing them into sexual acts.

Detective Constable Robert Lees from the Public Protection Unit at Crewe expressed satisfaction with the convictions, emphasizing that Bodily and Read preyed on vulnerable young girls and attempted to manipulate them into satisfying their own sexual desires. He praised the bravery of the victims for coming forward and assisting the police, and he reassured the community of Sandbach that justice had been served.

Both offenders will serve their sentences concurrently, with Bodily’s sentence running alongside an existing one for breaching a sex offenders order. Their convictions and sentences serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing need for vigilance and protective measures within the community to prevent such predatory behavior from recurring.