SEAN CAWTHRAY, THE LEEDS AND LEICESTER DOUBLE RAPIST, STILL ON THE RUN THREE WEEKS AFTER ESCAPE
In July 2017, authorities are actively searching for Sean Cawthray, also known as Sean Perry, a convicted double rapist who has been missing for over three weeks.The police confirmed that Cawthray was last seen on June 19, after he failed to return to a probation-approved residence in Leicester city centre, where he was supposed to be under supervision.
His disappearance has raised significant concern, especially given his history of violent sexual offenses and his breach of prison license conditions.
Law enforcement officials have stated that extensive efforts have been made to locate him, but so far, these investigations have not yielded any results.
Authorities have issued warnings to the public not to approach him, emphasizing the potential danger he poses.
Cawthray, aged 46, is known to use multiple surnames, including Perry and Goldthorpe, which complicates efforts to track him down.
Sean Cawthray’s criminal record is marked by a series of serious offenses.
In December 2002, he was sentenced to life imprisonment at Leeds Crown Court after kidnapping a 14-year-old girl near Leeds.
His criminal history includes previous convictions for rape, with two separate incidents prior to the kidnapping.
One of these involved raping a 20-year-old woman while he was studying art at De Montfort University in Leicester in 1993.
Additionally, he had been convicted earlier for raping a 15-year-old girl and attempting to assault another teenage girl in Leeds.
His most notorious crime involved abducting the 14-year-old girl at a bus stop, grabbing her by the hair, and dragging her into a back alley leading to a brook.
During the assault, he covered her face with his hand, making it difficult for her to breathe.
The girl’s desperate struggles attracted the attention of a nearby 7-year-old boy playing in a garden.
Recognizing her distress, the boy alerted his grandfather, who intervened and shouted at Cawthray, leading to his arrest and subsequent court proceedings.
At that time, he was known as Sean Cawthray and was residing on Charles Street in Leicester.
Judge James Spencer, presiding over the case, stated that Cawthray would be considered for parole only after serving at least five years, due to the significant risk he posed to young women.
Despite his release, he was placed on a lifetime license, meaning any breach of the conditions could result in his return to prison.
His criminal history also includes a 1993 conviction for raping a 20-year-old woman, and earlier offenses involving the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl and an attempted rape of another teenager in Leeds.
Sean Cawthray has a history of attempting to evade law enforcement.
Notably, in December 2013, a manhunt was initiated when he was reported missing from Leyhill open prison in Gloucestershire.
He is described as a white male, approximately 6 feet tall, slim build, with cropped dark hair and blue eyes.
At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing grey shorts, a grey short-sleeved T-shirt with a large white ‘23’ motif on the front, black trainers, and was carrying a grey and black backpack.
His current whereabouts remain unknown, and authorities continue their efforts to apprehend him and ensure public safety.
