September 2014
Paedophile jailed for abusing three young girls
A paedophile has been jailed for 11 and a half years for sexually abusing three young girls whose families he befriended.
Peter York, (61), was sent to prison after he subjected the youngsters to abuse over a period of more than 10 years.
Prosecutor Mary Prior told Leicester Crown Court how York assaulted one girl between the ages of six and 11, another between the ages of 8 and 15 and another between the ages of 12 and 14.
Judge Simon Hammond told York: “It is quite clear you had an unhealthy sexual interest in young girls.
“There was planning and grooming and an abuse of trust involved.
“The legacy of abuse like this is devastating.” York, of Naseby Road, Northfields, Leicester, pleaded guilty to nine charges including indecent assault and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
Ms Prior told how York abused the girls between 1992 and 2005.
She said he became friends with the parents of his first victim after they felt sorry for him.
She said: “What this man did was to regularly and repeatedly sexually abuse this girl over a period of years.”
With his second victim York again befriended the family but this time he showed the girl pornographic films and abused her on a fishing trip the two of them took.
Ms Prior said that with his third victim he also showed her pornographic material and as she got older bought her alcohol.
She said: “Part of the grooming process was that he bought her gifts and alcohol and allowed her to do what she wanted at his house.”
York was arrested after his first victim was no longer able to keep the secret of how he had abused her.
When York was arrested in August 2012 the police found a photograph he had taken of one of his victims dressed in a ballet dress.
The judge said: “This was not pornographic but was totally inappropriate. It would appear he kept the photograph as some kind of souvenir.”
The court heard how victim impact statements detailed how the lives of the three victims had been blighted by the abuse.
One victim said she had had a nervous breakdown and had difficulty trusting men.
Steven Newcombe, defending, said his client was a man of previous good character who had lead an industrious life.
He said: “He fully accepts that his behaviour was gross breach of trust and had elements of grooming.”
York will be on the sex offenders register for life.
