DAVID SPARKS SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES IN MERSEYSIDE

In April 2017, Merseyside Police announced the sentencing of David Sparks for multiple sexual offences. Sparks, 67, of Keswick Road, Wallasey Village, admitted to seven counts of indecent assault on a boy under 16 and one count of attempted buggery with a boy under 16. On Thursday, 6 April 2017, he was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to a total of 30 months in prison. This includes a previous sentence of nine and a half years for offences committed between 1972 and 2001, with the recent offences occurring within the same period.

In January 2011, Sparks, a Wirral milkman, was jailed for nine and a half years after being convicted of a 'catalogue of sexual abuse' involving a series of boys he systematically groomed over nearly three decades. The court heard how Sparks had befriended ten young victims from 1972 to 2001, using gifts, money, alcohol, and explicit pornography to facilitate his abuse.

Prosecutor Philip Astbury explained that Sparks exploited his position as a milkman to offer job opportunities and financial incentives, often inviting boys to stay overnight at his home for early-morning shifts, where further abuse took place. The grooming typically involved introducing victims to pornography, giving gifts or money, and providing alcohol in exchange for sexual acts. An ongoing pattern was his employment as a means to build trust and men to stay overnight.

Sparks' interest in the boys appeared to decline once they reached age 15 or 16. He pleaded guilty to 20 offences committed during this time. His abuse began in 1972 when he was 23, targeting a 13-year-old boy whom he took on day trips and then began abusing under the guise of recreational activities. When this boy, around 15 or 16, confronted Sparks, a physical altercation ensued. Despite this, Sparks shifted his focus to other young boys who were less able to resist the abuse.

By 1977, Sparks was inviting another 13-year-old boy to his Leasowe home, where grooming escalated into repeated acts of abuse. The court heard that Sparks showed explicit magazines and videos to his victims before molesting them. One victim estimated Sparks had abused him between 50 and 100 times, describing the behaviour as 'routine.'

Between 1989 and 1995, Sparks continued to abuse multiple boys, inviting them to his home for a variety of activities including watching TV, smoking, and drinking. Judge David Harris QC condemned Sparks' conduct, stating, "Your offending behaviour was grave, highly damaging to your victims and disgraceful," adding that it was a "gross breach of trust and power."

Sparks' legal counsel, Paul Wood, emphasized that Sparks had never used violence against his victims, had not offended in the past decade, and expressed remorse, highlighting that Sparks had suffered within the community for his actions.