SIMON NORTH FROM FARNDON SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR HORRIFIC CHILD SEX ABUSE IN NOTTINGHAM

In a harrowing case that has shocked the community of Farndon and the wider Nottingham area, Simon David North has been sentenced to life imprisonment following a series of heinous crimes involving the sexual abuse of young girls and the possession of a vast collection of indecent images of children and infants. The sentencing took place at Nottingham Crown Court on November 10, 2014, where Judge Michael Stokes QC described North’s actions as a relentless and calculated "campaign of rape" against a young girl spanning over six years.

North, aged 46 at the time, pleaded guilty to a total of 14 sexual offences, which included multiple counts related to the abuse of the girl, as well as crimes against two other girls under the age of 13. The charges against him ranged from repeated rapes to the production and possession of indecent images, some of which depicted extreme pornography and animals. The judge emphasized the severity of North’s conduct, stating that he had difficulty recalling a worse case of sexual abuse involving an innocent child.

The court heard that North’s depraved activities only came to light after American law enforcement agencies flagged his online activities. British detectives were alerted after monitoring images in an internet chat room linked to North. Police officers from Nottingham attended his residence in Fosse Court, Farndon, where they arrested him and seized his laptop. The investigation uncovered a disturbing collection of 2,566 indecent images of girls, with over 1,300 of these images depicting children aged between four months and 14 years engaged in sexual acts. Among these were six images classified as extreme pornography.

Further examination of North’s digital devices revealed a 43-minute video in which two young girls were seen in a bedroom, taking photographs of themselves and watching pornography. The police noted the overtly sexualized behavior of one of the children, which raised serious concerns about ongoing abuse. It was established that North had repeatedly raped one of the girls, starting from when she was just four years old. The case also included footage of North filming the girls, highlighting the extent of his depravity.

Prosecutor Dawn Pritchard described North as posing a significant risk to the public, noting that his behavior had escalated to encouraging other sexual activities involving young girls. During police interviews, North initially denied any sexual contact with the victim, who remains unidentified. However, he later admitted to six rapes, sexual assault, and other related charges.

North’s background was further complicated by claims that he suffered severe head injuries in a road accident in 2003, which resulted in significant skull trauma and facial reconstruction. Despite this, Judge Stokes dismissed any notion that these injuries could explain or mitigate his actions, stating, "I don’t believe that for one moment. This is an attempt to minimise the depths you have sunk to to behave in this way."

As part of his sentence, North was ordered to register as a sex offender and was referred to a barring agency to prevent him from working with children in the future. The court’s decision reflects the gravity of his crimes and the ongoing threat he poses to society, especially to vulnerable children in the Farndon community and beyond.