July 2016 No automatic parole for child rapist, judge rules A PAEDOPHILE has been told he will not be automatically released half way through his 19 year jail sentence. Following a trial, on May 27, a jury at Bolton Crown Court unanimously found 63-year-old John Trow guilty of six specimen counts of indecently assaulting a child and one charge of raping her. The court had heard how the offences started when the girl was aged six and occurred in the early 1990s over a three year period. Four days after the trial Judge Elliot Knopf sentenced Trow, of Bromwich Street, The Haulgh to 11 years in prison for the rape and an additional eight years in jail for the indecent assaults. Ordinarily a prisoner is released half way through their jail term, serving the remainder of the sentence in the community on licence. If they commit further offences during the licence period they face being returned to prison to serve the rest of their sentence behind bars. But yesterday (Monday) at Bolton Crown Court Trow appeared via a video link from jail to be told that his sentence will be made more onerous. Judge Knopf told him that, in reviewing his sentence, he realised that his case falls within the provisions of the Section 236a of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, which affects custodial sentences for some offenders “of particular concern”. These include defendants in historic child sex cases who, if committing the offences today, would be charged under Section 5 and Section 6 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Trow was told that he will not now be automatically be released after nine and a half years in prison – instead, at the end of that period, a parole board will consider whether it is appropriate to free him. In addition Trow will spend an additional two years on licence at the end of his 19 year sentence.