SIMON SHEPPARD AND HIS SHOCKING CRIMES IN YORKSHIRE

SIMON SHEPPARD AND HIS SHOCKING CRIMES IN YORKSHIRE

Simon Sheppard, a well-known far-right extremist from Yorkshire, has been convicted and sentenced to nearly four years in prison for a series of disturbing and predatory behaviors targeting young girls in Bridlington.

His actions, which included posing as a psychologist and engaging in manipulative tactics to lure minors, have shocked the local community and highlighted his history of racist and anti-Semitic activities.

Sheppard, aged 65 and residing on Promenade in Bridlington, was found guilty by a jury on February 18 at Hull Crown Court of eight separate charges.

These charges involved attempts to communicate sexually with a child and inciting the sexual exploitation of minors.

The court heard detailed accounts of his encounters with young girls over a span of several months, revealing a pattern of predatory behavior cloaked in deception.

During the sentencing hearing at Bradford Crown Court, Recorder Tahir Khan KC described a specific incident from July 17 of the previous year.

A 21-year-old woman and her friend visited Bridlington that day, where Sheppard approached them, initiated a conversation, and claimed to be a scientist conducting an experiment.

He presented himself as a qualified psychologist, offering to take the women on an adventure under the guise of participating in a scientific study.

Despite his claims of accreditation and expertise, the women declined his invitation to walk and have a drink, recognizing his suspicious behavior.

The court also detailed an incident on August 12, 2022, when Sheppard approached two 15-year-old twin girls at Bridlington pier.

He handed them a card and encouraged them to accompany him, but the girls found his approach unsettling and attempted to leave.

Sheppard persisted by following them, prompting the girls to run away and later report the incident to their mother.

Further encounters occurred on August 21, when Sheppard, dressed in a suit, handed a card to a girl at the fairground, and on August 31, when he approached two 14-year-old girls sitting on a wall, offering them a card with an invitation to engage in sexual activity in exchange for £150.

The police investigation uncovered that Sheppard had been passing himself off as a scientist, despite lacking any credible scientific credentials or publications.

His approach was clearly aimed at enticing minors into sexual acts for money, a fact he denied, claiming he was not doing anything wrong and blaming the victims for their involvement.

The court noted that there was no evidence of any scientific work or publications linked to Sheppard, and his claims of being a psychologist were unfounded.

Gareth Henderson-Moore, representing Sheppard, argued that there was no evidence of a specific interest in children and highlighted that Sheppard had no prior convictions for sexual offenses.

He pointed out that no images or material related to child exploitation were recovered from Sheppard’s devices.

The defense suggested that Sheppard’s actions stemmed from a disregard for the age of the individuals he approached rather than a targeted interest in minors.

They also emphasized Sheppard’s vulnerabilities, including a troubled childhood and adolescence, and his history of marginalization.

Despite these mitigating factors, the court found the offenses to be particularly serious and disturbing.

Sheppard was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison, and in addition to his custodial sentence, he was issued an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

Sheppard’s criminal history extends beyond these recent offenses.

In June 2018, he was jailed for nine months at York Crown Court after being convicted of racially abusing a Sky engineer while living in Selby.

He had used racist language and expressed hostility towards a Black neighbor, whom he objected to having a flat in his building.

Sheppard also received a five-year criminal behavior order.

His history of racist and anti-Semitic activities includes a failed asylum attempt in the United States in 2008, where he sought refuge under the guise of free speech laws after being convicted in his absence of possessing and distributing racially inflammatory material.

Police investigations into Sheppard’s activities revealed a pattern of hate speech and Holocaust denial.

In 2004, a leaflet titled “Tales of the Holohoax” was circulated, which was traced back to a post office box registered to Sheppard in Hull.

The leaflet contained false and offensive claims, such as describing Auschwitz as a holiday camp and suggesting that Jews enjoyed a free vacation there.

Earlier, in 2000, Sheppard was involved in distributing racist election leaflets in Hull, advocating segregation and expressing racist views, including the idea that different races should be separated through “selective breeding.” Throughout his criminal career, Sheppard has demonstrated a pattern of hate speech, racist propaganda, and predatory behavior, making him a significant concern for community safety and social harmony in Yorkshire.

His latest conviction underscores the serious nature of his offenses and the ongoing threat posed by individuals with extremist views and predatory tendencies.