Plumbing Engineer Jailed for Ancient Assaults

0:00It's April 10th. You're listening to Lester News today, AI-powered local news. A 69-year-old plumbing engineer named Richard Bradshaw just got jailed for sexual assaults on a teenage boy from over 25 years ago. He was once a volunteer youth worker at a Lester Shire School Club, using a converted library van for overnight trips with the kids. That role got him sacked back in 2007 after police gave him a caution for similar offenses against another boy. Earlier this week at Lester Crown Court, details came out about a second victim he targeted around the same time. Bradshaw drove groups in his van, letting the boy smoke and drink to lower their guards. Prosecutor said he prayed on his position during those trips, assaulting the 14-year-old boy multiple times while he slept. The victim showed up in court and shared how the abuse wrecked his life, ruining his marriage, triggering a breakdown three years back and leaving him, haunted even now, freaking out of touched while asleep. No wonder it stayed buried for decades until it all spilled out.

1:02Bradshaw's lawyer argued the crimes were ancient history, with no repeats, since blaming his own shame over sexuality and pushing for no jail time. But Judge Timothy Spencer called it, grooming through broken trust, not a one-off, and held him fully responsible for the lifelong pain. He handed down three years and two months behind bars, plus an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to keep watch. This is like this remind us, just as can catch up, no matter how long it takes.