Published by Robert L Senior Reporter on Tuesday 8th April 2025 at 16:30hrs
A 43-year-old man has been handed a 24-year sentence today after being convicted of a series of harrowing sexual offences against children in Leeds last summer.
Karl Davison, of Turnberry Gardens, Tingley, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court to 17 years in prison, with an additional 7-year extended license period.
Davison preyed on five young girls, the youngest being just 10 years old, in the Thorpe, Middleton, and Belle Isle areas of Leeds on August 6th and 7th last year.
He approached his victims while riding an electric scooter, in some instances engaging them in conversation about the scooter or even allowing them to ride it before subjecting them to sexual assault.
Following a trial in February, Davison was found guilty of three counts of sexual touching on a child aged under 13, one count of assault by penetration on a child under 13, and one count of sexual assault on a child under 16.
Davison’s criminal activity was brought to an end in the early hours of August 8th when patrolling officers in Lofthouse stopped a man matching his description.
Despite providing false details, he was quickly identified and subsequently arrested.
A search of Davison’s home uncovered a mobile phone containing a significant quantity of explicit images of children. Prior to his trial, Davison pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing indecent images of children.
In addition to the lengthy custodial sentence, Davison was also issued with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
This order includes a ban on him entering specific areas of Wakefield and Leeds. He will also be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life, ensuring continued monitoring of his activities.
Detective Superintendent Emma Winfield, who spearheaded the investigation, expressed her satisfaction with the sentence.
“These were truly despicable offences, and I welcome the sentence handed down to Davison today,” she stated.
“He is a dangerous predator who tried to entice young children to ride his scooter, with a view to sexually assaulting them.”
She commended the bravery of the victims and their families throughout the investigation, expressing hope that the conviction and sentencing would provide them with “some sense of comfort moving forwards.”
Detective Superintendent Winfield also reiterated the police’s commitment to tackling such crimes.
“Crimes of this nature are always taken extremely seriously, and I would urge any other victims of sexual offending, recent or not, to come forward so we can investigate it,” she urged.
“We have specially trained officers who treat all reports sensitively and will support victims to secure justice for them.”
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