PAEDOPHILE PAUL MANNION FROM WIDNES SENTENCED IN LIVERPOOL FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE

In a harrowing case brought before Liverpool Crown Court, Paul Mannion, a man originally from Widnes, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for a series of heinous sexual offenses committed against a young boy during the 1970s. The court heard that Mannion, now aged 63, engaged in repeated acts of sexual abuse over a span of five years, targeting a boy who was as young as four years old at the time.

According to the evidence presented, Mannion, who was in his mid-to-late teens during the period of abuse, subjected his young victim to at least 20 separate incidents of sexual assault. The court was told that Mannion forced the boy to perform sexual acts and committed assaults on him multiple times, with the earliest recorded incident occurring when the child was only six years old. The abuse was so severe that it caused the young boy to cry out in pain, an act that finally prompted Mannion to cease his attacks.

After each assault, Mannion would allegedly reward the child with small tokens such as 50p or ice cream, further complicating the trauma inflicted upon the young victim. The boy, who later grew to be a man, eventually found the courage to stand up to Mannion at the age of eight, threatening to report the abuse. Following this confrontation, the assaults reportedly stopped, but the emotional scars remained deeply embedded.

It was not until 2019 that the victim, now an adult, finally disclosed the abuse to the police, bringing the long-standing trauma into the public eye. During the court proceedings, a statement read on his behalf revealed the profound impact the abuse had on his life. The victim expressed feelings of regret and loss, stating, “I can’t help but think my life would have been so much different if this hadn’t happened to me. I pretended that everything was ok, but inside it was tearing me apart. He robbed my childhood and ruined my adulthood. It will always be with me.”

Mannion’s criminal history includes a previous conviction in 1989, when he was jailed for 30 months at Mold Crown Court for raping a young girl. During the current proceedings, he admitted to charges of buggery and seven counts of indecent assault. In addition to his prison sentence, Mannion was subjected to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order, which prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with children.

Judge Stuart Driver, presiding over the case, emphasized the severity and lasting impact of Mannion’s actions. He stated, “Your offending has had a severe ongoing and lifelong impact on your victim. This is the culmination of years of abuse.” Mannion is expected to serve approximately two-thirds of his sentence in custody before being released on licence, ensuring ongoing supervision and restrictions to prevent further harm.