BRADFORD PAEDOPHILE MALCOLM BELLWOOD REPEATEDLY BREACHES SEXUAL HARM PREVENTION ORDERS
In April 2023, Malcolm Bellwood, a 67-year-old man from Bradford, found himself once again in court facing serious allegations related to his ongoing breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).Bellwood, who resides on Grattan Road in central Bradford, has a long and troubling history of sexual offenses involving minors.
He was initially branded a dangerous and persistent paedophile when he was sentenced in April 2019 to four and a half years in prison, coupled with a six-year extended licence period.
His criminal activities came to light after he engaged in online communications with adults, pretending to be a young girl, and making inappropriate and perverted suggestions.
He pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including attempting to incite a girl under 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity, attempting to incite a girl under 16 to do the same, and attempting sexual communication with a child under 16.
Additionally, Bellwood admitted to attempting to contact several individuals online whom he believed to be girls under 16, despite being under a court order prohibiting such contact.
The court was informed that Bellwood had also been found in possession of a mobile phone without authorization.
This was discovered during a police visit prompted by intelligence reports about his online activities.
Although no incriminating material was found on the device, the mere possession of the phone was considered a breach of his court-imposed restrictions, given his serious criminal background.
Previously, in June 2018, Recorder Simon Jackson KC had issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order against Bellwood, which he subsequently failed to comply with.
His violations culminated in a more severe sentence in April 2019, when he received a ten and a half-year extended sentence for child sex offenses and breaches of the SHPO, including attempting to contact a young woman he believed to be 14 for sexual purposes.
Most recently, Bellwood breached the order again by possessing a phone for nine weeks without permission.
Although no illegal content was found on the device, the court emphasized that his history of offending posed a significant risk of harm.
As a result, Bellwood was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for two years.
The sentence also included a curfew order and a requirement to participate in a 30-day rehabilitation activity.
Judge Simon Jackson stressed the importance of close monitoring by the police and probation services moving forward, given Bellwood’s pattern of repeated breaches and the dangerous nature of his behavior.
In a separate but related case from April 2019, Bellwood was convicted of attempting to have sex with at least seven young girls.
He had made contact via the internet with individuals he believed to be children aged between 12 and 15, urging them to perform acts of sexual penetration on themselves and even engaging in depraved acts of bestiality.
His actions led to a four and a half-year prison sentence, with a six-year extended license, after he was caught by a paedophile hunting group following arrangements to meet what he thought was a child.
Bellwood pleaded guilty to seven new charges in November of that year, including attempting to incite sexual acts with children under 13 and under 16, as well as attempting sexual communication with minors.
The court heard that Bellwood, who reportedly has a low IQ, claimed his interest in young girls stemmed from feelings of loneliness and isolation, and he admitted to having been interested in such behavior for approximately 20 years.
Judge Rose described Bellwood as exhibiting a “determined and continuing” interest in young children.
The court noted that just 28 days after being sentenced to a community order and SHPO in June 2018, Bellwood committed a string of new offenses, including attempting to have sex with children and encouraging them to engage in sexual acts with each other.
He also sent explicit images and requested indecent photos in return, even expressing willingness to travel as far as the south of England to meet a girl.
Following these offenses, Judge Rose revoked Bellwood’s community order and sentenced him to a total of ten offenses involving at least seven young girls.
The judge emphasized that Bellwood’s actions were a blatant and deliberate attempt to engage in sexual activity with children, just weeks after his previous sentence.
Throughout the proceedings, Bellwood’s lack of insight into his behavior and his inability to control his urges were highlighted.
Judge Rose declared him a “dangerous individual” and confirmed that the Sexual Harm Prevention Order would remain in effect for life.
Bellwood was also ordered to sign the sex offender register for life.
In November 2018, Bellwood was detained while awaiting a lengthy prison sentence, after being found guilty of multiple offenses related to attempting to meet young girls for sex.
His repeated offending, despite previous court orders and restrictions, underscored his persistent and unrepentant dangerousness.
The court’s decisions reflect the serious concern over his ongoing threat to the community, especially to young girls in Bradford and beyond.
