A Rochdale Paedophile, Lee Smith, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted of nine sexual offences, including the rape and sexual assault of a child, following a prolonged campaign of abuse lasting over a decade.
Lee Smith (03/01/1979), from Kirkway, Rochdale, was convicted in July after a trial at Minshull Street Crown Court on multiple charges.
In 1999, the court was informed that Lee Smith, having befriended a cousin of the victim, frequently visited their residence, during which he consistently perpetrated abuse on the little kid.
This abuse occasionally occurred when Lee Smith entered the boy’s bedroom under the guise of ‘reading a bedtime tale,’ during which he would commence unwanted touching. Lee Smith frequently induced a sense of obligation in his victim to comply with his requests.
The little child occasionally experienced discomfort after the assaults, which persisted over the subsequent decade, with the abuse taking place when the victim’s mother was absent or at Lee Smith’s residence.
The extent of grooming and abuse led the youngster to perceive the maltreatment as usual, with Lee Smith methodically manipulating his trust.
In the subsequent months and years of his adulthood, the victim courageously disclosed the abuse to friends and family, leading to a police inquiry.
In a distinct inquiry, for which Lee Smith was equally culpable, he conversed in November 2024 with an individual he presumed to be a 13-year-old child.
Authorities subsequently located Lee Smith at his residence and apprehended him for attempted sexual communication.
Following his trial, which covered the years of abuse and online offence, Lee Smith was finally found guilty of nine offences: two counts of indecent assault, two counts of s9 sexual activity , one count of s10 causing a child to engage in sexual activity, s4 causing sexual activity, sexual assault, rape, and attempted sexual communications.
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