Sheffield sex offender jailed for almost 20 years

Melvyn Richardson, aged 68, formally of Ulley Crescent, Intake, and now of Sheffield, was interviewed by officers in February 2020 after two victims reported they had previously been sexually abused at the hands of Richardson.

One victim reported being abused in the late 2000s and the second victim in 2018.

During Richardson’s interview, he insisted he had not sexually assaulted the girls and was instead trying to ‘educate’ them.

Following investigations by both South Yorkshire Police and North Wales Police, Richardson was charged.

After a nine-day trial at Sheffield Crown Court, he was found unanimously guilty of 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 16.

On Friday (20 January), Richardson was sentenced to 19 years in prison.

One of the victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said in a statement: "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.”