SIMON SMITH FROM OSSETT AND WAKEFIELD STRIKES AGAIN: HORRIFIC SEXUAL OFFENCES AGAINST EIGHT-YEAR-OLD GIRL

In August 2019, a disturbing case emerged involving Simon Smith, a man from Wakefield, who committed a series of heinous sexual offences against a young girl. Despite being under a court order that explicitly prohibited him from having unsupervised contact with children, Smith repeatedly violated these restrictions, leading to a grave breach of legal and moral boundaries.

Smith’s criminal history includes a prior conviction for possessing indecent images of children in June 2017. During the investigation into those offences, he admitted to police that he had taken photographs of a child undressing, which further underscored his dangerous predatory behavior. As a result of this conviction, Smith was placed on the sex offender register for life and was subjected to a two-year community order aimed at providing him access to specialized sex offender rehabilitation programs designed to prevent future offending.

At the time, Smith was residing on Dewsbury Road in Ossett, a town within the Wakefield district. Despite the court’s restrictions, he managed to gain unsupervised contact with the young girl over several months, during which he committed multiple sexual assaults. The victim, who was only eight years old, was subjected to repeated abuse by Smith, a fact that was only uncovered when another adult witnessed him assaulting the girl and promptly alerted authorities.

Following this report, police intervened, and the young girl was able to disclose the extent of the abuse she had endured at Smith’s hands on previous occasions. The severity of his actions and the breach of court orders led to his arrest and subsequent prosecution. Smith pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault of a child and to breaching the sexual harm prevention order that was meant to restrict his contact with minors.

During the trial at Leeds Crown Court, the prosecution highlighted Smith’s dangerous history and the high risk he posed to children. A probation service report described him as a significant threat to re-offend, which was confirmed by the judge’s decision to impose an extended prison sentence totaling eight years and three months. The judge, Penelope Belcher, expressed her concern over Smith’s blatant disregard for court orders and his prioritization of his own sexual needs over the safety and well-being of the young victim.

Prosecutor David Bradshaw emphasized that Smith’s actions demonstrated a clear pattern of predatory behavior, and the court was told that he was fully aware of his status as a registered sex offender. Despite this, he continued to breach the restrictions placed upon him, highlighting a troubling failure of the system to prevent his access to vulnerable children. Smith’s case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing dangers posed by repeat offenders and the importance of rigorous enforcement of court orders designed to protect children from harm.