Two men from Greater Manchester jailed after abusing ‘troubled and vulnerable’ boys as young as nine

• ITV Granada Reports journalist Jennifer Buck was in court to see two men jailed for a combined total of more than 30 years for a string of sexual offences against boys in the 1980s and 90s

Two men who groomed and sexually abused ‘troubled and vulnerable’ boys as young as nine plying them with cash, cigarettes and alcohol over two decades have been jailed.

David Marsh, 74, and Anthony Whitehead, 72, independently targeted the boys in Rochdale, Bolton and Manchester in the 1980s and 90s.

Marsh, from Northenden in Manchester, and Whitehead, from Atherton in Wigan, were unanimously found guilty of 35 sexual offences on the boys aged between nine and 13 following a four week trial.

They were jailed for a total of 34 years at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on 27 November, and will likely spend the rest of their lives in prison.

Giving a victim impact statement via videolink from prison, one of the victims detailed the harrowing effect the abuse had on his life.

He said he met Marsh at a young age after running away from home, and his violent father.

“David was really friendly and used to have a laugh and a joke [with me]. He made me feel comfortable in his company,” he said.

“He bought me cigarettes and alcohol and food - little did I know he was expecting something in return for these gifts.

"When the sexual abuse started, Marsh would also give me cash and I thought ‘well if I can earn money this way, it will stop me having to shoplift for food and drink’.

“The abuse went on and on. I started to block out my emotions to the point I didn’t care or think about what was happening. I started using drugs, and used them solely to try and forget about the repeated sexual abuse.”

The pair were caught after Greater Manchester Police spent five years tracking the two paedophiles without the help of modern day techniques like CCTV and DNA.

Instead officers say it was "good old fashioned policing" which helped them trap the two men.

Detective Constable Andrea Richards says, "Unfortunately the boys had quite chaotic upbringings, they ended up in the care system and would often end up on the streets of Rochdale.

"These men preyed on these young boys, they preyed on their vulnerabilities they gained their trust, they were then able to transport them from Rochdale to their home addresses and other locations.

"Both Marsh and Whitehead had a keen interest in boys, we have been told by the victims that once they got to a certain age they were too old so they moved onto younger boys so without a doubt I do believe there will be more victims out there."

A video uncovered from Marsh's home showing him in Thailand in the 1980s shows - police say - his interest in young boys

Videos released by the police show that Marsh has a clear interest in young boys, officers say.

The clips show holidays in Thailand in the 1980s, and were amongst the evidence of him getting close to children found in his house.

Some of the images detectives discovered, they say, were too disturbing to release.

Officers have paid tribute to the victims who bravely came forward to tell police of their experiences, and endured the four week trial.

Detective Constable Richards added: “I want to commend the male survivors who have played a crucial role in bringing these abhorrent abusers to long-awaited justice.

“It was incredibly brave of them to speak about their abuse in what was a difficult and painful process for them to have to go through.

“These depraved men are exactly where they should be, in jail, away from causing our communities and those within it any further harm.

“There may be others affected by Marsh and Whitehead’s separate campaigns of offending, and we would like to let all survivors of sexual abuse know that we are here to listen to them when they are ready, at a pace they feel comfortable with."

Victim impact statements read in court told of the abuse ruining their lives, but some of those affected feel vindicated they say, and they talk of the relief now that the case has been heard.

One victim, Duncan, says: "Maybe some of the 'I've got my justice' isn't necessarily about that moment it's about being believed, it's about being heard and it is about being visible."

Greater Manchester Police urged anyone else who may have been preyed on by the pair to come forward.

Assistant Chief Constable Stephanie Parker said: "My message to them would be, when you are ready we are listening.

"We are ready to hear your account and what I would like to say and I think this investigation and sentence shows is that time will never be a barrier for justice."

The court heard that Marsh had three previous convictions for three offences including indecent assault on a male under 16 in the 1980s and possession of indecent images of children in the 1990s.

He was said to be in poor health and was concerned about his deterioration in prison, his barrister Colin Buckle said.

He said he had a difficult childhood due to being in the care system and then being fostered. Marsh then joined the armed forces at the age of 17 then moved into the merchant navy where he stayed for 25 years.

Of the impending prison term, he said: “He brought it upon himself, he knows that.”

Whitehead was said to have two previous convictions for nine offences including indecent assault on a male under 16 in the 1990s, and a similar offence in 2017, for which he was jailed for nine years.

Mitigating for Whitehead, Steven Swift said: “He served half of the nine year sentence and then was arrested and questioned in relation to these matters.

"The court heard at the trial of his professional life that he worked until the age of 65.”

Wendy Chappell, District Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West’s rape and serious sexual offence unit, said: “Marsh conducted a vile campaign of sexual abuse on children as young as nine, while Whitehead sexually abused a fourteen-year-old boy.

"They acted solely for their own self-gratification, with no thought for the life-changing trauma their abuse would cause.

“These convictions send a very clear message that the Crown Prosecution Service, working alongside our law enforcement colleagues, will relentlessly pursue justice for victims and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, whenever that abuse took place.

“I would like to thank the men for reporting their abuse and making it possible to build this case and bring these sexual predators to justice.”

Marsh was sentenced to 27 years in prison for 27 indecent assaults, rape and attempted rape. Whitehead was sentenced to seven years in prison for six indecent assaults.

Sentencing the judge said: "You chose vulnerable young boys and exploited their vulnerability to satisfy your own deviant sexual appetite, you gave them money, food and treats to buy their silence.

"Your offending has had an profound an ongoing impact on all the boys lives. You have had the advantage of living your life without facing your offences"