BRADFORD SEX OFFENDER DAVID BETTS, NOW DAVID CHENG, JAILED FOR BREACHES AND PAST OFFENSES IN BRADFORD
In a series of disturbing incidents that have once again brought attention to the dangers posed by convicted sex offenders, David Betts, a man with a long history of sexual offenses, has been at the center of legal proceedings in Bradford.Recently, Betts, who now resides in Bradford under the alias David Cheng, was sentenced to nine months in prison after he was found to have flagrantly violated a court-ordered Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).
The breach was uncovered during a routine police inspection at his residence on Heybeck Walk, Holme Wood, Bradford.
The police discovered that Betts had invited a girl and two boys, all under the age of 16, into his home, despite being explicitly prohibited from doing so under the terms of his SOPO.
This order was put in place to protect vulnerable minors from Betts, who had previously been convicted of serious sexual offenses.
Bradford Crown Court heard that Betts had a troubling history of engaging with minors.
Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC condemned his actions, stating, “This case involves blatant breaches of an order imposed by the court to protect vulnerable children from you, a serious sexual offender.” The court emphasized the gravity of the violation, highlighting the risk posed to children by Betts’s disregard for legal restrictions.
Betts’s criminal history is extensive.
In April 2015, he pleaded guilty to repeatedly inviting three children into his home, breaching the same SOPO.
This pattern of behavior was uncovered after Betts, then 65, was recalled to prison on a license breach.
He had previously been sentenced in January 2012 to a three-and-a-half-year extended prison term for multiple indecent assaults on a vulnerable teenage girl.
At that time, Betts was 61 and living on Lister Avenue, East Bowling, Bradford.
The court heard that Betts had been deemed a “high risk to girls,” with the offenses involving a girl who was just 15 at the time.
The victim, whose identity remains protected for legal reasons, revealed that she had engaged in sexual acts with Betts regularly over a period of more than a year, starting when she was 15 and continuing until she was 21.
During this period, Betts reportedly rewarded her with cigarettes, money, and alcohol for her compliance.
Prosecutor Jeremy Lindsay explained that Betts’s criminal behavior was discovered in 2010 when the victim confided in her mother.
The court was told that Betts had suggested to police during an interview that the victim was promiscuous and that he believed she was “jumping on the band wagon.” Betts also admitted to finding younger girls attractive, specifically mentioning those aged 14 to 15.
Judge Jacqueline Davies sentenced Betts to an extended prison term, emphasizing the seriousness of his offenses against a vulnerable victim.
She ordered him to serve a three-and-a-half-year sentence and to remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Additionally, Betts was subjected to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for an indefinite period, reinforcing the court’s concern about his potential to reoffend.
As of now, Betts has returned to Bradford, living under his new name, David Cheng.
His case underscores the ongoing challenges faced by authorities in monitoring and managing individuals with a history of sexual offenses, especially those deemed high risk to minors.
The legal proceedings serve as a stark reminder of the importance of strict enforcement of court orders designed to safeguard children from predatory individuals.
