LEEDS MAN ROBERT CONNOR JAILED FOR HISTORIC CHILD SEX CRIMES

A Leeds man has been jailed for historic sex offences against two children.Robert Connor was found guilty on 7 March of the rape, sexual assault and attempted rape of an 11-year-old and a second victim, who was aged 12 or 13 at the time.The offences occurred in the Chapeltown area of Leeds between 1977 and 1980, when Connor himself was a teenager.On Wednesday at Leeds Crown Court, Connor, aged 63, was sentenced to five years in prison.Impact statements from victims revealed the profound effect of Connor’s crimes. One victim shared how they had been unable to "simply move on with my life" and described how Connor had "ruined my life" by attacking them. They recounted feeling too scared to tell anyone at the time, believing they wouldn’t be believed, and how they lost their innocence on that day. The victim expressed feeling violated and described Connor’s treatment as “like a piece of meat,” and stated that their cries for help “meant nothing to him.”Another victim conveyed feelings of shock and numbness caused by Connor’s actions, indicating they never spoke up out of fear of not being believed.Detective Inspector Mark Tester from West Yorkshire Police commented on the case, emphasizing that Connor committed these crimes locally a long time ago and believed he had gotten away with it until 2022. He praised the victims' courage for appearing in court and helping bring Connor to justice.