June 2020

Topless Selby paedophile touched girl behind mother’s back

A convicted paedophile touched a five-year-old child in the street behind her mother’s back, York Crown Court heard.

Emma Downing, prosecuting, said Paul Hurworth, 57, was banned from contacting children under a court order designed to protect them from his activities.

Hurworth was topless when he saw the mother and child walking down an alleyway in Selby with the adult slightly ahead.

The court heard that after the woman had passed him, he deliberately approached the youngster, spread out his arms and when the child stopped, touched her shoulder.

He then walked off.

“The mother was entirely unaware of what had happened as it happened literally behind her back,” said Ms Downing.

Hurworth has previous convictions for sexually abusing children and was subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) banning him from any contact with youngsters.

“You deliberately approached the girl when the woman’s back was turned,” Judge Simon Hickey told Hurworth.

“I am concerned about your behaviour,” said the judge.

“Your sentence must inevitably be an immediate custodial sentence for this breach.”

It was not the first time the paedophile had breached the order.

Hurworth, of Ousegate, Selby, pleaded guilty to breaching the SHPO.

He was jailed for 12 months.

The SHPO remains in force.

Defence barrister Victoria Smith-Swain said he had not harmed or distressed the girl and had admitted what he had done.

His sentence would be harder than in normal times because during the coronavirus pandemic, prisoners are confined to their cells 23 hours out of every 24.

Ms Downing said the alley was next to a hostel where people subject to court orders restricting their behaviour live, among others.

Hurworth had been living there since 2019.

He approached the girl at about 1.30pm on May 21.

After touching the girl, Hurworth walked off.

He did not touch the girl sexually.

The hostel has CCTV covering the alley.

Later that afternoon, a housing officer connected to the hostel checked it and realised what Hurworth had done, said the prosecution barrister.

Hurworth was arrested the next day.

He was convicted in 1981 of indecently assaulting a boy, in 2004 of indecently assaulting a girl, and of making a public nuisance in 2015.

He has previously served prison sentences for breaching the SHPO.

In 2017, he was jailed for 18 months when he approached a group of children sitting in a grassy area.

The court heard that in 2019, he was jailed for six months for three breaches of the order involving a boy.

September 2017

Thrybergh sex offender jailed for breaching order

A sex offender who stroked and touched children in a playground has been jailed after he twice breached an order which prevented him from having unsupervised contact with children.

Paul Hurworth (55), of Well Drive, Thrybergh, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two breaches of a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order which was imposed in 2015.

Ms Helen Chapman, prosecuting at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday,  said Hurworth had been given the order when he was convicted of public nuisance, but did not have any further information about the offence.

Hurworth breached the order twice over two days from July 1 this year when he visited a children’s playground on Lindley Street, Rotherham.

Ms Chapman said: “He was seen at 9.30am sitting at benches with a small group of children between ages of three and nine.

“The children were surrounding him taking an interest in something he had.

“He remained in the park for two hours, he was talking to one five-year-old boy stroking his arm and hair.

“The child became upset and hit him with a stick before running away.

“He continued to play with the remaining children, engaging them in a game where they would jump on a mattress that was in the park and he would hold them by their hips.”

Hurworth returned to the same park the next morning and was seen talking to a five-year-old boy, grabbing his hand and stroking his hair, the court heard.

He was also seen talking to a five year-old girl and a larger group of children.

Ms Chapman said Hurworth had made one girl “distressed” when he touched her bottom and had been confronted by members of the public, one of whom contacted the police.

In his police interview he agreed he had breached the order, but said parents had been present at the park and he had not touched the children “like that”.

An adult witness told police it was clear the defendant’s actions had been distressing the children and she wanted him to stay away from the street and play area.

Hurworth has previous convictions of indecent assault on a male under 16 in 1981 and indecent assault on a female under 16 in 2004.

Mr Francis Edusei, mitigating, said Hurworth had a learning disability which meant he had a low IQ and had been in custody for four months since his arrest.

He was “in need of support long-term”, said Mr Edusei.

Recorder Jamie Hill QC said it was a “troubling case” because of Hurworth’s previous child sex offences.

He sentenced him to 18 months in prison, half of which he will serve on licence.

The Sexual Harm Prevention Order was re-imposed indefinitely.