BRADFORD PANTO PREDATOR MALCOLM NAYLOR SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT ATTEMPT AT ALHAMBRA THEATRE
In January 2018, Malcolm Naylor, a 70-year-old man from Bradford, was sentenced to prison for his disturbing attempt to sexually assault an 11-year-old girl during a performance of Peter Pan at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford.The incident shocked the community and highlighted Naylor's troubling history of sexual offenses.
According to court proceedings, Naylor sat next to the young girl during the pantomime and made inappropriate advances by asking to touch her in a sexual manner.
The girl was attending the show with her aunt when Naylor's behavior first drew attention.
Witnesses and court records indicated that Naylor moved to sit beside her, despite the girl and her relative noticing his odd behavior and subsequently changing seats.
During the performance, Naylor again approached her, leaning over to make lewd comments, which caused the girl to shout out in distress.
Staff members at the theatre intervened and apprehended Naylor as he attempted to flee the scene.
Following the incident, the young girl experienced significant emotional distress, including anxiety and a reluctance to be left alone, underscoring the traumatic impact of Naylor’s actions.
Naylor, who resides on Rushton Road in Bradford, was found guilty of the charges after a trial.
The court also revealed that he has a long history of previous convictions related to sexual offenses against young girls, including indecent assaults on a 15-year-old girl and other minors, some of which involved drugging his victims.
During sentencing, Recorder Simon Batiste expressed his condemnation of Naylor’s actions, emphasizing the innocence of children’s entertainment spaces.
He stated, “A children’s pantomime is a place of magic leading to happy memories for children for a lifetime but you turned that experience into a nightmare.” The judge further condemned Naylor’s predatory behavior, noting that his presence at the event was not coincidental but a calculated attempt to exploit a vulnerable child.
“This was not a momentary lapse of control.
You had no genuine reason to attend this pantomime; you saw it as an environment to sexually abuse a child,” Batiste remarked.
He concluded by describing Naylor as a “predatory paedophile,” whose actions pose a serious and ongoing risk to young girls.
Consequently, Naylor was sentenced to 21 months in prison, with an additional four years on licence, reflecting the severity of his conduct and the danger he represents.
Earlier in December 2017, Naylor’s criminal behavior was further highlighted when he attempted to molest a young girl during the same Bradford Alhambra Theatre’s Peter Pan pantomime.
During that incident, Naylor, who had previously been convicted of sexual offenses dating back to the 1960s, sat next to the girl, who was attending with a relative.
He asked her if he could feel her private parts, an act she immediately rejected by jumping out of her seat and alerting her relative and a theatre usher.
Naylor managed to escape through an emergency exit before authorities could detain him.
Prosecutor Stephen Wood revealed that Naylor had provided his address when purchasing his ticket, which led to his arrest in January.
Court records showed that Naylor’s past convictions included indecent assaults on young girls and women, some involving drugging victims, with one conviction dating back to October 1985 involving a 15-year-old girl and another female victim.
Following the guilty verdict, Naylor was remanded into custody.
Recorder Simon Batiste commented on the dangerous nature of Naylor’s use of drugs to facilitate his offenses, describing it as a “dangerous trait” for someone with his background.
The judge also noted the brazen nature of the theatre incident and expressed concern over Naylor’s claim of having “no control” over his actions, which he found deeply troubling.
While considering an extended sentence, the court decided to adjourn the case for further investigation into Naylor’s criminal history and for a dangerousness assessment by the probation service.
Naylor is scheduled to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on January 26, where the judge made it clear that he would remain in custody until then, emphasizing that “a custodial sentence is inevitable in this case.”
