In 2018, the Offender Database recorded that 22-year-old Ryan English was jailed for nine years after what a judge described as a shameless and cruel campaign of rape and sexual abuse against young boys. English—of Langdale Close, Castleford, West Yorkshire—was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court following a trial in which he denied his actions. It was reported that the investigation into English’s conduct began in 2017 after he targeted a child in the toilets of a working men’s club during a fifth birthday party where he was performing as a DJ.
The investigation established that English first raped a three-year-old boy in a toilet cubicle at a different West Yorkshire working men’s club when the offender was aged 15. Leeds Crown Court heard that English went on to carry out further rapes and sexual offences against that same child on approximately 20 separate occasions. The prosecution reported that the victim has been left traumatised, suffering from nightmares and becoming an anxious, self-conscious and angry boy as a direct result of English’s systematic abuse.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that English continued to offend even after being caught and released on bail for his actions at the birthday party. Leeds Crown Court heard that a forensic search of his mobile phone revealed he had downloaded videos of children being raped and had used WhatsApp to request indecent images. The investigation established that English’s crimes were committed over a number of years to satisfy his sexual cravings in relation to young boys, effectively stripping his victims of any semblance of a normal, happy childhood.
Recorder Abdul Iqbal, QC, presided over the sentencing, describing English’s behaviour as shameless and cruel. For his actions in Castleford and West Yorkshire, English was convicted of three counts of rape, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, and three counts of making indecent images. He was jailed for nine years and ordered to register as a sex offender for life, with the judge noting that English’s predation in public venues like working men’s clubs presented a profound danger to the community.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in West Yorkshire, the status of Ryan English as of April 6, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: SERVING (9-year term; sentenced 2018; currently incarcerated or recently released on licence).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for life.
- SHPO Status: Subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Rape of a child; Making indecent images; Engaging a child in sexual activity; 8 counts total).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Leeds Crown Court; investigated by West Yorkshire Police.
- Criminal Record: Raped a 3-year-old on 20 occasions; Targeted a second victim at a 5th birthday party; Downloaded rape videos while on bail.
- Origin: Langdale Close, Castleford, West Yorkshire.
Monitoring and Public Protection
English is managed as a maximum-risk registered sex offender within the prison estate and remains a priority for the West Yorkshire Police Public Protection Unit. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his predation where he used his role as a DJ to access children at family events—his management is a priority. Authorities state that his decision to download abuse material while already under investigation for rape proves he is a compulsive predator with no regard for the law.
As a registered sex offender for life, the then 22-year-old’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that his indefinite SHPO will mandate a total ban on him ever working as a DJ or entertainer in any capacity where children are present. Any future residence in Castleford or West Yorkshire will be subject to the most intensive Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). Any attempt to access digital hardware or any unauthorised proximity to children will result in immediate arrest to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from his demonstrated pattern of serial sexual violence.
QUESTION – Given that the offender used his role as a DJ at a fifth birthday party to target a child, do you believe that event-based entertainment roles should require a mandatory, high-level DBS check for every single booking, regardless of the venue?
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