DANIEL MOLAN AND SHOCKING INDECENT BEHAVIOR IN MANCHESTER
Daniel Molan, a 51-year-old man from Manchester, was involved in a disturbing series of indecent acts that targeted young girls in the area.Despite facing serious allegations, Molan was only handed a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to multiple charges related to public decency and sexual misconduct.
The case was heard at Bolton Crown Court, where Molan was initially facing potential imprisonment of up to three years.
The charges against him included three counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and two counts of outraging public decency.
However, after consideration of various mitigating factors, he was sentenced to an imprisonment term of 22 months, suspended for one year.
This decision sparked debate over the adequacy of such a punishment for such offending behavior.
During the sentencing hearing, Molan’s legal representative, Paul Treble, addressed the court, emphasizing his client's cooperation with probation services and psychological assessments.
Treble stated, “He has been open and honest with probation and psychological report.
He has told me he deeply regrets what he did and is ashamed of it.
As a result, probation have said that he is someone they were willing to work with.” Treble also noted that Molan remains employed full-time, with his employer describing him as having a strong work ethic.
While acknowledging the seriousness of the offenses, Treble argued that the harm caused was relatively modest in comparison.
The court’s findings detailed a series of disturbing incidents involving Molan’s targeting of young girls.
The first victim, a 14-year-old girl, was approached by Molan at around 8 a.m.
one February morning in 2022 while she was walking to her bus stop in Leigh.
Prosecutor Amanda Johnson described how the young girl observed Molan standing nearby and staring at her, rather than looking for her bus.
Suddenly, he exposed himself to her and attempted to attract her attention with his behavior.
The girl initially believed the incident was isolated and did not report it.
However, approximately one week later, the same girl encountered Molan again at the same location and time.
This time, he exposed himself once more and went further by masturbating in full view of her.
The victim, frightened by his actions, boarded her bus immediately and later confided in a teacher about the incidents.
After the Easter holidays in April 2022, the girl returned to the same bus stop and, feeling uneasy, chose to walk past Molan rather than approach him.
She recorded him on her phone, capturing footage that she then handed over to the police.
This video evidenced her report of feeling really uncomfortable and raised concerns about Molan’s behavior towards other children.
Further incidents were also documented involving other young girls.
One such event involved two 14-year-old girls traveling on a bus from Leigh Bus Station.
They were seated at the back when Molan boarded and sat with a noticeable distance between himself and the girls.
Witnesses observed him nudging one girl with his leg and staring at her, which prompted her to move away.
Another girl detected Molan staring at her legs, and she ultimately saw him masturbating with his penis exposed.
She promptly informed her mother, who advised her to report the incident.
The bus driver then challenged Molan, removed him from the vehicle, and contacted the police.
Police investigations uncovered a pattern of similar behavior.
A previous incident in March 2022 at Leigh Bus Station involved three schoolchildren who also described Molan with similar descriptions.
CCTV footage was reviewed, and he was subsequently arrested on June 13, 2022.
He was questioned but chose not to comment on the allegations.
Molan, who was born in Romania, was described in court as someone of good character prior to these offenses.
Despite this, Judge Andrew McLoughlin expressed concern over his targeted harassment of schoolgirls and the emotional impact on victims.
The judge stated, “You have targeted school girls, one in particular was a victim on two separate occasions at the same bus stop near her school.
Although she admits that she has the mental strength to not be too affected by the incident, others, unfortunately, have been impacted more.” While acknowledging the unclear motives behind Molan’s actions, the judge emphasized the need for rehabilitation and ordered him to complete 40 days of intervention programs alongside 120 hours of unpaid work.
Additionally, Molan was subjected to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and required to register as a sex offender.
This case occurred amidst growing concerns about the handling of indecent exposure and voyeurism offences.
Recently, women who had been exposed to by killer policeman Wayne Couzens just days before his arrest for the murder of Sarah Everard, warned about the insufficient response such offences receive.
Metropolitan Police Chief Sir Mark Rowley has called for legislative reforms, arguing that streakers at football matches should not be treated similarly to sex offenders.
Statistics reveal that women and girls in the UK face more than 40 incidents of indecent exposure or voyeurism daily.
Nevertheless, official data from the Ministry of Justice shows a sharp decline in convictions for such crimes, nearly halving from 810 in 2016 to 435 in 2020.
Harriet Wistrich, director of the Centre for Women’s Justice, criticized law enforcement’s approach, stating, “This kind of offending can be an indicator of more serious, prolific, and sometimes escalating sexual misconduct.”
