DAVID HARDMAN FROM KIDDERMINSTER SENTENCED TO 11 YEARS FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES

In April 2012, David Hardman, a 45-year-old man from Kidderminster, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for serious sexual offences. He appeared before Hereford Crown Court and faced charges that included two counts of rape, one count of sexual assault, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, a further serious offence against a minor, two charges of taking indecent photographs of a child, and three additional charges of possessing indecent images of a child. The crimes were committed in Worcestershire between 2004 and September of the previous year.

Hardman acknowledged his guilt when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on March 1 of this year. Judge Toby Hooper QC handed down the 11-year custodial sentence and mandated that he remains on the Sex Offenders Register for life. Upon release, he will continue to be monitored as a sex offender and is subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) for life, which restricts him from having any unsupervised contact with children under 16.

The investigation was led by Detective Constable Claire Marsden of the Public Protection Unit at Bromsgrove Police Station. She explained that the offences involved two girls who were cared for by Hardman at different times. During this period, he sexually abused both victims and filmed them on his mobile phone. He also threatened the victims, warning them of possible repercussions if they disclosed what was happening.

The crimes came to light last September after one of the victims confided in her mother, which ultimately led to the discovery of abuses against the other girl. Following his arrest, authorities seized multiple mobile phones from Hardman, which contained numerous sexual images of children.

DC Marsden commented: “Hardman initially tried to deny the accusations, claiming his victims had fabricated everything. However, faced with overwhelming evidence, he finally admitted to the charges. He was in a position of trust and abused that trust in a terrible way. He deserves the time behind bars, and the length of his sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes.

“We hope that this outcome provides some sense of closure to his victims. I have great admiration for their courage and bravery in coming forward to give evidence.

“While cases like this are rare in West Mercia, we hope it encourages other victims of sexual abuse to come forward, knowing that police will investigate thoroughly and pursue justice for them.”