DAVID MONKS FROM LEYLAND AND WINSFORD SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES IN MANCHESTER AND PRESTON

In a series of disturbing criminal cases, David Monks, a 58-year-old man from Golden Hill Lane in Leyland, has been sentenced to a significant prison term for heinous acts involving minors. The court proceedings revealed that Monks engaged in predatory behavior targeting vulnerable children, including a 13-year-old boy from Lancashire whom he paid for unprotected sex after meeting him through a phone-based dating application.

During the sentencing at Preston Crown Court, Recorder Mark Ainsworth emphasized the dangerous nature of Monks's actions, stating, “It’s clear he has suffered a great deal by what has happened to him,” referring to the severity of his crimes. Monks pleaded guilty to three charges of paying a child for sex, which led to his conviction. The court heard that the young victim, described as vulnerable, had previously been exploited by others and was left with a sexually transmitted disease as a consequence of Monks’s abuse.

Details of the case revealed that Monks, who had a prior conviction in 2005 related to similar offenses involving two boys, used the Grindr app to meet the 13-year-old victim. The meeting took place at Monks’s campervan, where he paid the boy for sexual acts. Prosecutor Paul Brookwell highlighted a particularly disturbing incident where the boy appeared in his school uniform during a subsequent meeting, making it evident to Monks that the child was underage.

In addition to the Preston case, Monks’s criminal history includes a conviction from April 2005, when he was sentenced to nine years in prison for a series of sexual offenses. At that time, he was identified as a 'white witch' abuser, having tricked his victims into believing he possessed supernatural powers. Monks, then aged 47 and residing on Muirfield Drive in Winsford, was convicted at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court on 15 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape.

Police reports detailed that Monks, who worked as a caretaker at Circle Court on Barton Dock Road, lured young children into his flat in Stretford. There, he would give them alcohol and cigarettes, and perform tarot card readings, claiming to be a white witch. During these encounters, he would abuse the victims, sometimes placing tarot cards on their bodies as part of the assault. The offenses spanned from 1999 to 2004, with victims believed to be between 14 and 16 years old. Three of the indecent assault counts involved a girl aged 16, while the others involved girls aged 14 or 15.

Det Sgt Mike Abbott of Stretford CID commented on the case, saying, “Monks’ sentence reflects the gravity of the offences he has committed. He acted in a despicable manner preying on young children many of whom were too scared to act against his wishes. I only hope his victims can gain some form of comfort from the fact that he is now behind bars for the foreseeable future. This is a worthy conclusion to what has been an extremely long and complicated investigation.”

As a result of his convictions, Monks will be registered as a sex offender indefinitely, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities and restrictions to protect the community from further harm.