ALAN WILSON OF KIRKBYMOORSIDE SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES IN YORK

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Kirkbymoorside, Alan Wilson, a 68-year-old resident of West Lund Lane, was sentenced to three years in prison after a jury at York Crown Court found him guilty of four separate charges of indecent assault, all committed during the 1990s. The court also ordered Wilson to be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life, a measure designed to monitor and restrict his activities following his release from incarceration. Additionally, he was subjected to an indefinite sexual offences prevention order, which aims to safeguard children from potential harm by restricting his access to minors.

Wilson had consistently denied all allegations against him, maintaining his innocence throughout the proceedings. Despite his protests, the evidence presented in court painted a disturbing picture of his past actions. The case gained further attention when a grandmother of two of the victims recounted her own disturbing discovery during a visit to Wilson’s home in the 1990s. She described seeing Wilson walking in his hallway with only a shirt draped over his shoulder, in a crouched posture, which she found unusual. Her visit led her to find one of the young girls, who was naked, in Wilson’s bedroom, revealing the extent of his abuse.

The victim, now an adult woman, testified that she was partially clothed when her relative caught Wilson in the act, having surprised him during one of his numerous sexual assaults that spanned over at least three years. She also revealed that Wilson had made her watch adult pornography on a computer screen multiple times, further illustrating the manipulative and abusive nature of his conduct.

In a separate incident in October 2005, Wilson was convicted of threatening to throw a 12-year-old girl off a bridge near his home in Kirkbymoorside. The girl and her two friends had been on a piece of land nearby, which Wilson considered to be his territory. During this episode, he referred to the children as “horrible, evil creatures,” and denied the child assault charge, although the court found him guilty.

Further allegations emerged in 2006 when Wilson was convicted by Scarborough magistrates of grabbing the wrists of two girls aged 12 and 13 as they were walking to school, and kicking one of them in the leg. Wilson denied these charges but was convicted after a trial. He subsequently appealed against the convictions, claiming that months of harassment by schoolgirls were driving him out of town. However, the appeal was dismissed, and the convictions were upheld by the court.

Judge Jim Spencer QC emphasized the severity of Wilson’s crimes, stating that a prison sentence was inevitable given the nature of his offenses. Wilson did not give evidence in his defense during the trial and is scheduled to return to court in November for sentencing after probation officers complete a pre-sentence report. The case has left a lasting impact on the community of Kirkbymoorside, highlighting the importance of vigilance and protection for vulnerable children.