February 2017

Former Stockton market pram seller jailed for sexually abusing young girl

A grandad who sold prams on Stockton market has been jailed for 11 years for sexually abusing a young girl.

Paedophile David Rigden was handed an extended sentence after a judge ruled he was dangerous and represented a serious risk to the public.

Hull Crown Court heard that the 64-year-old had built up such a “very high level of trust” with the family, he was able to not only bath their children but also their friend’s child.

Rigden was a well-known face on Stockton market where he sold prams and buggies for many years.

The court heard he met his victim’s family while working 70 miles away from his home in Hemsworth Cottages, Huggate, near Driffield.

Nicola Quinney, prosecuting, said the abuse began when the girl was asleep on the front seat of Rigden’s van.

When police looked through Rigden’s phone, they found indecent images, one in which the child was being seriously sexually assaulted by Rigden.

Dale Brook, for Rigden, said he was in poor health after being diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2011, suffering two strokes, and also had a painful spine problem.

He also argued against the imposition of an extended sentence with a dangerousness finding.

But ruling that Rigden was dangerous, Judge Simon Jack told him: “You had gained a very high level of trust that I’m quite satisfied was part of a highly sophisticated process of grooming.

“I have been dealing with paedophiles for many years; most paedophiles groom children, individual children, and that enables them to commit offences against them.

“But the more sophisticated paedophiles go a stage further; they pick on a family which is vulnerable, very often a lone parent or a parent who for some reason needs support.

“It was that, that enabled you to make yourself invaluable to her [the mother], gaining her trust and gaining access to her children.”

Rigden, who had no previous convictions, was convicted of six offences after a retrial, after the first jury was unable to reach verdicts on all charges.

They are sexual assault of a child under 13, sexual activity with a child, making indecent photographs of a child, and three counts of making indecent images of a child.

The judge said the offence Rigden took a picture of was “one of the most serious of its kind”, and told him: “I take the view you represent a risk of serious physical harm to people you may come into contact with in the future.”

He must sign the sex offenders register for life, and was made subject to a SHPO and a restraining order for life.

December 2016

‘Dangerous’ paedophile preyed on ‘vulnerable’ mother so he could abuse her child

A market trader who befriended a vulnerable mother so he could sexually abuse her young daughter has been jailed for 11 years.

Paedophile David Rigden, 64, built up such a “very high level of trust” with the family, he was able to not only bath their children but also their friend’s child.

Police found a series of indecent images on his phone, one in which the child was being seriously sexually assaulted by Rigden, a grandfather, while she was “insensible”.

It was not clear how she came to be in that state, but Judge Simon Jack, who saw the picture, told Hull Crown Court: “He must have done something to ensure she didn’t wake up.”

Rigden had also “cropped” in an innocent photograph of a child to focus on her groin area. There were also two photographs of an unidentified child’s bottom.

Rigden was handed an extended sentence after the judge ruled he was dangerous and represented a serious risk to the public.

The court heard he met the family while working 70 miles away from his home in Hemsworth Cottages, Huggate, near Driffield.

Nicola Quinney, prosecuting, said the abuse began when the girl was asleep on the front seat of Rigden’s van. He began touching her leg to what she later described as “the nappy line”. She “twitched” and he removed his hand.

“She was too scared to move or do anything,” Miss Quinney said.

Rigden, who had no previous convictions, was convicted of six offences after a retrial, after the first jury was unable to reach verdicts on all charges.

They are sexual assault of a child under 13, sexual activity with a child, making indecent photographs of a child, and three counts of making indecent images of a child.

Ruling that Rigden was dangerous, the judge told him: “You had gained a very high level of trust that I’m quite satisfied was part of a highly sophisticated process of grooming.

“I have been dealing with paedophiles for many years; most paedophiles groom children, individual children, and that enables them to commit offences against them.

“But the more sophisticated paedophiles go a stage further; they pick on a family which is vulnerable, very often a lone parent or a parent who for some reason needs support.

“It was that, that enabled you to make yourself invaluable to her [the mother], gaining her trust and gaining access to her children.”

The judge said the offence Rigden took a picture of was “one of the most serious of its kind”, and told him: “I take the view you represent a risk of serious physical harm to people you may come into contact with in the future.”

He must sign the sex offenders register for life, and was made subject to a SHPO and a restraining order for life.