WILLIAM NICHOLSON FROM DARLINGTON SENTENCED FOR REPEATED SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILD
| Red Rose Database
Darlington Rapist
In October 2017, a serious case of child sexual abuse resulted in the imprisonment of William Nicholson, a resident of Symington Walk in Darlington. The court proceedings revealed a disturbing pattern of exploitation, where Nicholson, now aged 19, had engaged in a prolonged series of sexual offenses against a young girl, beginning when she was only 14 years old.
According to court records, Nicholson used his victim as a means to satisfy his own sexual curiosity over several years. The abuse was characterized by repeated acts of rape, attempted rape, and indecent assaults, alongside efforts to incite the girl into engaging in sexual activities. The court heard that Nicholson had shown the girl pornography, and that searches for sex-related videos had been made on his Xbox gaming console, indicating a disturbing preoccupation with sexual content.
The court proceedings detailed that Nicholson’s abusive behavior started when the girl was still in primary school. She kept her ordeal secret until 2015, when she confided in a friend of her mother. This disclosure prompted an immediate police investigation, which uncovered the extent of Nicholson’s misconduct. Prosecutor Aisha Wadoodi confirmed that the police were called in after the girl revealed her experiences.
Judge Peter Armstrong addressed the court, emphasizing the influence of internet pornography on Nicholson’s behavior. He remarked, “It almost beggars belief. I can’t believe it didn’t have an effect on him. It’s a warning to parents to monitor their children’s activities rather than being left to their own devices in their bedrooms.” The judge suggested that Nicholson’s actions appeared to be driven by curiosity and experimentation, possibly mimicking what he had seen online, and that he had used the young girl as an object for his sexual exploration.
During the hearing, defense representative Chris Baker explained that Nicholson had been heavily influenced by adults from a young age, especially after he stopped attending school seven years prior. The victim, in her statement, expressed her ongoing trauma, revealing that she struggled to articulate what had happened at the time. She described suffering from nightmares and feeling confused during the abuse, stating, “When this was happening I felt really confused. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t put it into words.”
As a result of his crimes, Nicholson was sentenced to six years in a young offenders’ institution. Additionally, he will be registered on the sex offenders’ register for life, and he is permanently barred from working with children. An indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also imposed, restricting Nicholson from having unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 and limiting his access to computers and the internet, in an effort to prevent further offenses and protect potential victims.
According to court records, Nicholson used his victim as a means to satisfy his own sexual curiosity over several years. The abuse was characterized by repeated acts of rape, attempted rape, and indecent assaults, alongside efforts to incite the girl into engaging in sexual activities. The court heard that Nicholson had shown the girl pornography, and that searches for sex-related videos had been made on his Xbox gaming console, indicating a disturbing preoccupation with sexual content.
The court proceedings detailed that Nicholson’s abusive behavior started when the girl was still in primary school. She kept her ordeal secret until 2015, when she confided in a friend of her mother. This disclosure prompted an immediate police investigation, which uncovered the extent of Nicholson’s misconduct. Prosecutor Aisha Wadoodi confirmed that the police were called in after the girl revealed her experiences.
Judge Peter Armstrong addressed the court, emphasizing the influence of internet pornography on Nicholson’s behavior. He remarked, “It almost beggars belief. I can’t believe it didn’t have an effect on him. It’s a warning to parents to monitor their children’s activities rather than being left to their own devices in their bedrooms.” The judge suggested that Nicholson’s actions appeared to be driven by curiosity and experimentation, possibly mimicking what he had seen online, and that he had used the young girl as an object for his sexual exploration.
During the hearing, defense representative Chris Baker explained that Nicholson had been heavily influenced by adults from a young age, especially after he stopped attending school seven years prior. The victim, in her statement, expressed her ongoing trauma, revealing that she struggled to articulate what had happened at the time. She described suffering from nightmares and feeling confused during the abuse, stating, “When this was happening I felt really confused. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t put it into words.”
As a result of his crimes, Nicholson was sentenced to six years in a young offenders’ institution. Additionally, he will be registered on the sex offenders’ register for life, and he is permanently barred from working with children. An indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also imposed, restricting Nicholson from having unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 and limiting his access to computers and the internet, in an effort to prevent further offenses and protect potential victims.