IAN STORY FROM LEIGH SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IN BOLTON

Ian Story, a convicted paedophile from Leigh, was found to have committed heinous acts of sexual abuse against young girls as young as one year old. The case came to light after police arrested him on suspicion of possessing and distributing indecent images of children. During the investigation, officers discovered that Story was present in several videos and photographs abusing children himself. He was easily identified by a distinctive tattoo, watch, and jewelry he was wearing in the images.

When questioned, Story admitted to police that he engaged in these acts because he had not had sex with an adult for ten years. Michael Maher, prosecuting, told Bolton Crown Court: "The case concerns a 55-year-old defendant with a sexual interest in very young children. Over the course of a decade, he collected a large number of indecent images of toddlers and even created some himself.

The court heard that five young girls, including toddlers, were sexually assaulted by Story, who sometimes filmed himself during the crimes and shared the footage with other perverts. Story pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including two counts of rape, 14 counts of making indecent images of children, seven counts of sexually assaulting a child, two counts of assault by penetration of a child, and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Story was arrested at his home, and when police searched his bedroom, he pointed to his phone and provided the passcode. His wife questioned him about the allegations, to which he admitted their truth. Authorities discovered 15 videos on his phone, including some showing a toddler performing a sex act on him, with Story encouraging, praising, and cajoling the girl.

Evidence identified Story through his distinctive tattoo, watch, and jewelry appearing in the videos. All his electronic devices contained a total of 904 Category A images (including 36 videos), 1,466 Category B images, and 21,795 Category C images. The majority of these images depicted children between six months and eight years old.

Story was also found distributing these images via email, WhatsApp, and Telegram. Online chats revealed that he boasted about his sexual abuse of children, with investigations identifying some victims pictured or filmed by Story. He admitted to deriving sexual gratification from his crimes, rationalizing it as a result of missing out on adult relationships for ten years.

Victims' families described the ordeal as "like being in a nightmare." Defence lawyer Paul Becker highlighted that Story was a previously well-regarded family man who had shown some remorse. However, Judge Graeme Smith sentenced him to 18 years in prison, plus a five-year license period. The judge stated: "It is impossible to listen to the graphic details of that abuse without feeling disbelief that someone could treat any child in such an appalling way. You considered only your own depraved interests."

The judge further emphasized that Story’s deeply ingrained desire to abuse children posed a high risk of serious harm.

Following the sentencing, DC Philip Kelley from Greater Manchester Police commented: "These offences were heinous and despicable, and I am glad we have been able to take this man off the streets and put him behind bars. Story's abuse was purely for his own perverted sexual gratification, with no regard for the devastating and lasting impact on his victims. Ensuring victims are protected and offenders are brought to justice is a top priority for GMP. Today's sentence should serve as a stark reminder that child abuse will never be tolerated and offenders risk lengthy imprisonment. There are various specialist services available to help prevent offending."