RAYMOND HAYES, SEX OFFENDER FROM GOOLE, SENTENCED TO FIVE AND A HALF YEARS

In July 2012, a six-year-old girl received praise for her bravery after helping authorities arrest sex offender Raymond Leslie Hayes, 67, a driving instructor from Goole. Hayes, who appeared to be a respected community member running a driving school, concealed his criminal activities behind a facade of respectability. He sexually assaulted multiple young girls and produced indecent films over a period of seven years, including some classified as the most severe category of indecent images.

The breakthrough came when the young girl confided in her mother about the abuse. Speaking to the Mail, her mother said, "My daughter has had a lucky escape. She is our little heroine for stopping him. I want him to wither and die in prison. He has taken her childhood, her innocence. She no longer trusts anybody. She told me she knows that when people smile, they might not be friendly."

Hull Crown Court was told that Hayes had babysat the victims, who ranged in age from 6 to 8, and had given them toffees following the abuse. The police were brought in after the mother contacted authorities in January. Another victim's mother expressed anger, saying, "Hayes has destroyed our lives. My little girl hurts herself because of what he has done. No sentence will ever be long enough. We trusted him implicitly with our children and he has betrayed us. Our children, who were so tiny, were entrusted to a man we believed to be a pillar of the community."

She added, "My daughter was a happy girl who enjoyed school, but now she’s changed. She’s been pulling out large chunks of hair with scissors or carving knives." Hayes pleaded guilty to ten counts of sexual assault against three girls, as well as eight counts of taking indecent images of two children, including possession of an extreme indecent image. He was sentenced to five and a half years in prison.

Addressing Hayes, Judge Michael Mettyear described his conduct as "absolutely disgusting and disgraceful," adding, "You exploited their innocence for your own depraved purposes. Thankfully, one victim reported the abuse, which triggered the investigation. If she hadn’t spoken out, I dread to think how far the abuse might have spread."

The judge also acknowledged the suffering of the victims and their families, saying, "They have been devastated by your actions. I hope time will bring some closure so the young girls can begin to recover." A native of Hull, Hayes had no prior convictions. His defense attorney, Anil Murray, stated, "He cannot really explain why he behaved like this. He has expressed remorse."

Hayes will be placed on the sex offenders register for life.