LEE SWAIN'S HORRIFIC CRIME IN CASTLEFORD: TEENAGER SEXUALLY ASSAULTS EIGHT-YEAR-OLD BOY IN ABANDONED GARAGE

In February 2006, a disturbing incident unfolded in the town of Castleford, where two teenagers orchestrated a heinous act against an innocent eight-year-old boy. The young victim was lured into a disused, derelict garage by the older youths, who then subjected him to a serious sexual assault that has shocked the local community and prompted a court hearing at Leeds Crown Court.

According to prosecutor Neil Clark, the victim was initially approached by the two accused while he was playing in the Ambleside area of Castleford. The teenagers suggested they all go to the abandoned garage, claiming it was a place for “rudies,” a term used locally to describe rough or disreputable areas. Trusting their words, the young boy agreed to accompany them, unaware of the grave danger awaiting him.

Once inside the secluded, dilapidated structure, the older youth, identified as Lee Swain, 18, of Fryston, Castleford, proceeded to sexually assault the boy. The court heard that Swain raped the child, while his accomplice, a 16-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, not only watched but also participated in the assault. After the assault, the two teenagers and the young victim left the garage together, acting as if nothing had happened, even collecting conkers in the same area, displaying a disturbing lack of remorse or awareness of the gravity of their actions.

Lee Swain admitted to the crime of rape during the court proceedings. He was subsequently sentenced to two years' detention in a young offenders’ institution. Additionally, he was disqualified from working with children in the future, reflecting the severity of his offense. The 16-year-old, who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a child under 13, received a three-year supervision order and was also permanently disqualified from working with children.

During the sentencing, Judge Shaun Spencer QC emphasized the seriousness of the crime. He clarified that the prosecution did not claim Swain’s act of rape was committed without his consent, but nonetheless, it was a grave offense that could have warranted life imprisonment. The judge remarked, “This was not an offence which I regard or am willing to pass off as adolescent experimentation. The child was offered money and taken to an enclosed place where the offence happened.”

Judge Spencer acknowledged that Swain had difficulties, citing a psychologist’s report that indicated he had a mental and emotional age much younger than his actual years. Despite this, the judge made it clear that the crime was profoundly serious. Regarding the younger accomplice, the judge stated, “You were not the instigator and you didn’t start it, and, secondly, the activity you were responsible for was much less serious,” highlighting the difference in culpability between the two youths involved in this tragic incident.