GREASBROUGH SEX OFFENDER KEIRON YOUNG SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE

In a case that has spanned several years and involved multiple victims, Kieron Young, a known sex offender from Greasbrough, South Yorkshire, has been subjected to a series of legal proceedings culminating in a significant prison sentence. The latest sentencing occurred in December 2018, after Young was convicted of abusing a 13-year-old boy whom he had groomed online and subsequently blackmailed with indecent photographs.

Young, now 27, was finally brought to justice after a long nine-year wait for the victim, who bravely spoke out in court about the profound impact the abuse had on his life. The court heard how the young survivor, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was only 13 years old when Young initiated contact with him in September 2009. The abuse was so severe that it caused the boy to experience a noticeable change in his behaviour and even led him to attempt suicide. During the proceedings, the victim read a heartfelt statement, expressing the deep scars left by Young’s actions: “Kieron Young has ruined my life by what he has done to me. That’s why I tried to kill myself. I had to continue with this on my own for eight-and-a-half years. I pushed what happened to the back of my mind, although I never forgot what happened and thought about it every day.”

Prosecutor Richard Sheldon detailed how Young, then 18, initiated contact with the boy via Facebook, falsely claiming to be a 14-year-old in the same school year, and believed they shared a sibling-like relationship. Young then lured the boy to his home in St Mary’s View, Greasbrough, Rotherham, where he ordered him to strip. Once inside, Young took indecent photographs of the boy and committed serious sexual offences, including forcing him to watch as Young performed a sex act on himself. Young threatened the boy with exposure, warning that if he told anyone, the images would be shared online, which the victim believed would ruin his life.

Despite initial reluctance to cooperate with police, Young, who is currently serving time at HMP Doncaster, eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of meeting a child after grooming. His defence lawyer, Mohammed Rafiq, acknowledged that Young regrets his actions and recognizes the pain caused, stating, “He knows he has caused some pain and suffering to the complainant here, and regrets it. And looking back now, he regrets it very much. If he could turn back the clock he would like to do that, but he can’t.”

In addition to the recent six-year sentence, Young was previously sentenced in November 2017 to ten years for similar offences involving five victims, some under the age of 13. The court also imposed a three-year extended license period, deeming Young a dangerous individual and a risk to the public. During the December hearing, Judge Roger Thomas QC emphasized the technicalities involved in sentencing but expressed hope that the proceedings would bring some closure to the victims and their families. Addressing the survivor and his loved ones directly, the judge said, “I’m sorry that sentencing gets so technical. There was a day when sentencing, in fact, was much more straight-forward, and wasn’t constrained by these technicalities. I hope this, at last, brings some sort of closure with things and you can move on with life.”

Earlier in September 2018, Young had pleaded guilty to additional sexual offences committed against a 13-year-old boy in Rotherham in 2009. At that time, he was already serving a 13-year sentence for multiple sexual offences committed between 2014 and 2016. His crimes include two counts of sexual activity with a minor under 16 and one count of meeting a child following grooming. He is scheduled for sentencing at Sheffield Crown Court on October 11.

Young’s criminal history is extensive. In November 2017, he was jailed for 13 years after admitting to 13 child sex offences, including grooming and abusing boys across the country on Facebook, some while on bail. His offences involved forcing minors to perform sexual acts, possessing over 750 indecent images of children, and attempting to meet children for sexual purposes. Judge Roger Thomas QC also imposed a three-year extended sentence, considering Young a significant risk of harm. The court heard how Young, who was cautioned in 2008 for possessing child pornography, posed a serious threat to the community.

Throughout the proceedings, the court was presented with detailed accounts of Young’s offending, including grooming a 14-year-old boy in Rotherham in 2010, which caused lasting emotional trauma. The victim described how the abuse affected his academic performance and mental health, leading to depression and difficulty concentrating. Young also targeted a 13-year-old boy from Derbyshire in April 2014, forcing him to perform sex acts and strip naked after pretending to be a girl. The victim’s mother discovered her son naked during a live Skype call, prompting Young’s arrest that same month. Further investigations revealed Young’s contact with a 12-year-old boy in Avon and Somerset in 2016, where he coerced the child into taking explicit pictures and engaging in sexual acts. He also contacted a 12-year-old boy in Scarborough via Facebook, forcing him to send indecent images and urinate and defecate on his bed.

Young’s pattern of offending extended into 2016 and 2017, with attempts to contact and exploit even younger children, including a 15-year-old boy in Northamptonshire. He was eventually arrested in June 2018, and authorities ordered him to register as a sex offender for life and imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order to protect the public from further harm.