Trafford man jailed for 'catalogue' of child sex abuse
John Sleith, 70, has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for abuse carried out in Urmston and Sale.
Last updated 1st Feb 2018
An elderly man from Trafford man who subjected two children to a catalogue of sexual abuse has been jailed.
John Sleith, 70, who's originally from Urmston, was jailed for 19 years yesterday at Minshull Street Crown Court for the offences which were predominantly carried out in Urmston and Sale.
He pleaded guilty to a total of 18 counts of non-recent sexual offences including rape, touching and arranging for one of the children to meet other men for the commission of sexual offences.
The court heard that the abuse spanned between 2004 - 2012 and that Sleith had told the boy and girl, who were under the age of 12 at the time, that they would go to prison if they told anyone.
In November last year one of the victims plucked up the courage to confide in a family member and the police were made aware. The second victim then came forward to police.
Sleith was subsequently arrested but denied all the offences and claimed the pair were lying.
Detective Constable David Fox, from GMP’s Trafford Specialist Protective Services, said: “Sleith subjected these young children to sickening offences over the space of eight years.
“He abused them for his own perverse pleasure and went as far as taking the girl to meet other dangerous depraved men who would also sexually assault her.
“What these victims have been through is harrowing and how they have carried this pain with them for so long is heart-breaking.
“They feared Sleith and he manipulated them into thinking if they told anyone they would be the ones to get in trouble.
“They were innocent children and their bravery and courage has now put a sex offender behind bars.
“I hope this case shows just how seriously GMP takes reports of sexual offences, no matter when they happened.
“We will do everything in our power to support victims and make sure their attacker doesn’t hurt anyone else.”