DAMIAN RILEY'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN MANCHESTER REVEALED AFTER NEW VICTIM COMES FORWARD
A convicted sex offender from Manchester has seen his prison sentence extended following the emergence of a new victim who has come forward to reveal further details of his past crimes.Damien Riley, originally from Ewood, Oldham, was previously convicted of engaging in inappropriate sexual activities involving four young boys during the 1980s in Oldham.
The case was brought to trial in 2021, where a jury found him guilty of 16 separate incidents of sexual misconduct committed when he was a teenager.
Following his conviction, Riley was sentenced to a decade behind bars.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Angela Nield addressed the court, emphasizing the gravity of Riley’s actions.
She stated, "The victims of your offending behaviour were four in number — they were children, children who all lived on the same estate in very different times to now, when it was a commonplace for groups of children to play together on the street." Judge Nield continued, highlighting the betrayal of trust and the lasting impact on the victims: "When those children were believed, usually with good cause, to be safe by their parents, safety in numbers; sadly in this case, that was far from the truth.
Each of them was undoubtedly damaged by that behaviour and by their premature and inappropriate exposure to sexual experiences." She further described the environment of innocence that was shattered, noting, "All these young men were part and parcel of a group of children who should have been enjoying the delights of playing with their friends and the games that were enjoyed in the streets of Oldham, but there was a very much darker undercurrent on that street." Since the initial sentencing in 2021, new evidence has emerged as another victim, who lived in the same area during that period, has come forward.
The prosecution, led by Amy Weir, revealed that Riley, then a teenager, had performed a sex act on this new victim.
In mitigation, Riley’s defense lawyer, Michael Johnson, argued that his client was a child at the time of the offences, and pointed out that the maximum sentence for such crimes committed in the 1980s was only 12 months imprisonment.
Despite this, Judge Nield decided to extend Riley’s punishment, sentencing him to an additional 12 months for indecent assault on a child, to be served consecutively to his existing sentence.
Judge Nield expressed her disappointment that Riley chose to go to trial rather than acknowledge his guilt earlier.
She remarked, "In 2021, following a trial concerning four separate complainants who alleged similar types of behaviour, I sentenced you to 10 years imprisonment.
This complainant did not come forward until much later, and you chose to have a trial, which is your right.
He had to give evidence about something which was very distressing to him.
It was open to you to acknowledge your guilt and potentially to come clean and avoid the situation you have now found yourself in." As a result, Damien Riley’s total incarceration period has been extended, reflecting the serious nature of his crimes and the additional trauma inflicted on his latest victim.
His case underscores the ongoing issues of abuse and the importance of victims coming forward, even decades after the offences occurred, to seek justice and ensure accountability.
