A 72-year-old Rotherham man who sexually abused three children has been jailed.
David Hodson, formerly of Station Road, appeared before Sheffield Crown Court on Monday (11 September) and was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison.
Hodson had previously pleaded guilty to indecency with a child, three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. The court heard that Hodsonโs offences occurred over a period of more than 30 years.
The judge, Recorder Richard Wright KC, described Hodson as a โcalculating and determined sexual predatorโ. He granted the three victims restraining orders and gave Hodson a life-long sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) which prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16.
Investigating Officer Molly Southworth, who was in charge of the two-year investigation, praised the victims and said โThe victims in this case have shown an immeasurable amount of courage during the course of this investigation. Without their bravery and support, Hodsonโs offending would have undoubtedly continued.โ
โThe sentence Hodson now has to serve means he will be in his late 70s before he is even eligible to be released on licence. After this he will have lifelong conditions and monitoring requirements to protect children from his depraved sexual offending. I hope this sentence allows the victims some closure.โ
โI would like to take this opportunity to encourage victims of sexual abuse to contact the police, regardless of the length of time passed since the offending. Itโs never too late to report your concerns to us. Alternatively, there are third party agencies who can assist with support and counselling if victims are not yet ready to make a formal report to the police.โ
โIf youโve ever experienced sexual violence or abuse, free, specialist and confidential support is available via the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line. This is a free phone and online chat service, run by Rape Crisis England and Wales, funded by UK Government, for anyone aged over 16 in England and Wales who has experienced something sexual that they didnโt consent to or are feeling confused about.โ
More support for victims of sexual offences is available on our dedicated webpage:ย www.southyorks.police.uk/find-out/crime-prevention-advice/sexual-offences
