LUKE SHORROCK FROM DAREN AND NELSON SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES IN LANCASHIRE

In a case that has shocked the local community, Luke Shorrock, a 23-year-old man originally from Darwen, has been sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of serious sexual offenses involving a young girl. The incident took place in August 2011, but the legal proceedings concluded with his sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court in January 2012.

At the time of the offense, Shorrock was residing in a flat on Clover Hill Road, Nelson, having moved there from his previous address on Hindle Street, Darwen. The court heard that Shorrock had approached a seven-year-old girl and asked her to be his girlfriend, a disturbing prelude to the assault. Subsequently, he forcibly took her into a bathroom where he committed a sexual assault. The assault was interrupted when a relative of the young girl entered the bathroom and discovered Shorrock with the girl, whose underwear was around her ankles. The man was visibly shocked upon being caught, and the young girl immediately ran out of the bathroom, crying and visibly distressed.

Following the incident, police were promptly called to the scene. Shorrock was arrested on suspicion of the crimes committed. It was revealed during the trial that he cares for his disabled parents, a detail that was noted during sentencing. The court found him guilty of attempted rape and sexual assault after a week-long trial, and he was subsequently sentenced to eight years in prison.

In addition to his prison sentence, Shorrock was ordered to register as a sex offender for life. He was also banned from working with children indefinitely. Furthermore, under a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, he is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with any children under the age of 16 for a period of ten years.

DC Jane Challenger, who was involved in the case, commented on the severity of the offense, stating, “Shorrock is a predatory and dangerous man who deliberately targeted a vulnerable young girl. We have supported the girl and her family throughout what has been a very difficult time, and I hope they will now be able to start to put this terrible ordeal behind them and move on with their lives.”

She emphasized that although such crimes are rare, they are taken very seriously by law enforcement, and authorities remain committed to targeting and prosecuting offenders to protect the community from similar threats.