Ex-Sheffield council boss, 81, jailed for forcing teenagers to engage in sex acts

An ex-Sheffield City Council boss who forced teenagers to engage in sex acts to get grant payments has been jailed for 16 years.

Roger Dodds, 81, also abused colleagues while working for the council's education department between 1953 and 1993.

The council has been accused of failing to act and moved Dodds to a position working with schools after complaints. It said it was now "deeply sorry".

In December Dodds admitted indecently assaulting four men and a young boy.

In the 1970s Dodds, of Cotswold Road, Sheffield, was responsible for providing grants to college and university students.

The court heard he had used his position to abuse teenagers, forcing students to engage in sexual acts in order to get grant payments.

The five victims were at Sheffield Crown Court to hear him sentenced.

The council have said they are 'deeply sorry' that Dodds committed these offences while working for them.

Jayne Ludlam, Executive Director for Children, Young People and Families, said: “We welcome the fact that today Roger Dodds has finally been brought to justice, after so many years.

“Our thoughts go out to his victims, whose bravery in coming forward has resulted in Dodds’ conviction and subsequent sentencing."

Investigating officer Detective Constable Stephen Howson said: “Today marks the culmination of a lengthy police investigation into Dodds’ sexual abuse of multiple victims, which spanned the 1970s to 1990s.

“Our inquiry began in 2014, after we received information from one victim who bravely reported sexual abuse to the NSPCC."