SIMON PAYNE, BRADFORD CHILD SEX OFFENDER, SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS

In July 2014, Simon Payne, 43, from Bell Dean Road, Allerton, Bradford, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted of multiple sexual offences, some dating back to the 1980s.

During the hearing at Bradford Crown Court, Payne was described as having a "dark side" as he was convicted for crimes committed against three young victims over a span of approximately 20 years.

The police highlighted the bravery of the victims in coming forward many years after the offences. The court learned that Payne had committed multiple sexual offences against a girl when she was between seven and nine years old, while he was around 16 to 19 years old.

Additionally, when he was about 18, Payne committed two sexual offences against an 11-year-old boy.

Around seven or eight years prior to the trial, he sexually abused a girl over roughly two years, starting when she was 13 and ending when she was 15.

Victims' statements describing the profound impact of Payne’s actions were presented to Judge Roger Thomas QC by prosecutor Kitty Taylor.

Mitigating the sentence, Stephen Wood noted that Payne had no previous criminal convictions and stated, "In his position, the fact of the custodial sentence, that’s the real punishment, not the length."

Judge Thomas addressed Payne directly, saying, "After a difficult educational start in life, you had done quite well in terms of employment and other aspects of your life, but there was a dark side to you that is demonstrated by this indictment."

He also remarked that the victims’ statements had been "insightful and really quite moving" and emphasized the lasting harm caused by such offences, stating, "That aspect of this cannot be underestimated — the lasting damage this does do to the unfortunate people to whom it happens."

Payne was sentenced to 12 years for a total of 10 offences, many of which were used as representative examples of his offending pattern.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Emma Dawson of the Bradford District Safeguarding Unit expressed her appreciation, saying, "Payne took advantage of his victims’ young ages and vulnerability to carry out these attacks over a period of time.

We would like to thank them for their courage in coming forward and reporting these offences, and hope that today’s sentence will help to give them some closure.

We also hope it will encourage other victims to come forward and speak to our specially trained officers, who will investigate all reports of sexual abuse thoroughly and sensitively, no matter how historic, with the intention of bringing the offenders to justice."

As part of his sentence, Payne is now required to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.