Paedophile from Leeds jailed for 25 years for series of 'horrific' sex offences against children

A "dangerous sexual predator" has been jailed for 25 years after admitting to multiple rapes of a two-year-old girl and a string of sexual offences against her and two other victims.

Matthew Bradshaw, 30, was given the extended sentence at Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

Detectives at West Yorkshire Police began further investigations into Bradshaw, of Heights Drive in Armley, Leeds, after he was convicted of sexually assaulting a two-year-old girl in 2021.

He was put on the sex offenders register and served with a community order which allowed officers to seize and examine his devices.

Checks of these devices established he had kept indecent images and also showed Bradshaw had committed further sexual offences against the girl, as well as two more victims.

Bradshaw was arrested and later charged with three counts of rape of a girl aged under 13, sexual assault of a child under 13, four counts of making indecent images of children, four counts of possession of indecent of children, two counts of voyeurism, one count of distributing an indecent image of a child, and one count of possession of extreme pornographic images.

Speaking after Bradshaw had been sentenced, Det Sgt Claire Salkeld said: “These were absolutely horrific offences committed against young children.

“Bradshaw was already on the sex offenders register and these offences have come to light due to the checks that were made on his online activities.

“Our enquiries mean we have been able to identify and safeguard his victims, and also support their wider families at what was a truly unimaginably difficult time for them.

“The sentence that Bradshaw has been given has ensured that a dangerous sexual predator is now behind bars.”

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