AFTER being found guilty of sexual offences against two children, including a notorious offence against a North Wales youngster, a man was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
Sheffield resident Melvyn Richardson, 68, was questioned by police in February 2020 after two victims came forward to say they had previously been sexually assaulted by him.
One of the victims, a Llanrwst resident, claimed to have experienced abuse in the late 2000s, and the second victim claimed to have had abuse in 2018.
Richardson stated during the interview that he had not sexually assaulted the girls and that he had instead been attempting to “teach” them.
Richardson was charged with two counts of indecent assault, one count of indecency with a child, two counts of sexual assault on a child under 13, one count of causing and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and one count of cruelty to a person under the age of sixteen following a joint investigation led by North Wales Police DC Delyth Jones and South Yorkshire Police DC Carla Davey.
After a nine-day trial at Sheffield Crown Court, he was unanimously convicted guilty of all charges.
Richardson received his sentence of 19 years in prison on Friday, January 20.
In a statement, one of the victims—who shall remain unnamed for legal reasons—said:
“I would like to express my gratitude to everyone involved in securing a conviction against Richardson.
“The resulting sentence of 19 years demonstrates the seriousness of his offences towards me, and the other victim and I am happy justice has prevailed.
“I will forever be grateful for the hard work and dedication of both police forces to put this man behind bars.”
South Yorkshire Police DC Carla Davey, who led the investigation, said: “I would like to commend both victims for their bravery and patience throughout this investigation. Their courage and strength have been acknowledged by all officers in involved.
“The passage of time should be no bar to victims of serious crime receiving the justice they deserve, nor should it be a veil for offenders to hide behind.
“Victims must be assured that they will be listened to, and their allegations fully investigated, and this is a prime example of our determination to ensure the people of South Yorkshire can have confidence in us.
“I would also like to thank North Wales Police for their continuous support over the last four years.”
