Sexually abusing teenage boys.

Paedophile Sentenced to 23 Years for Abusing Five Teenage Boys

Anthony Spelman, 57, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on November 10 for sexually abusing five teenage boys. He was found guilty of three counts of rape, two counts of indecency with a child, and 19 counts of indecent assault.

The case against Spelman began in 2017 when several men came forward to report they had been victims of his abuse in Crewe. The men, who were teenagers at the time of the abuse, had seen an article about Spelman in Irish news publications. The article reported that Spelman had been handed a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a seven-year-old boy between 1985 and 1986.

The men reported that Spelman would often provide them with alcohol and take them out in his car, sometimes letting them drive. They said the abuse occurred between October 1993 and 2002 while they lived in Crewe.

Spelman was initially arrested in 2018 while serving his suspended sentence in Ireland. However, the Director of Public Prosecutions in Ireland appealed the sentence, and Spelman was handed a custodial sentence. This was extended after more offenses in Ireland came to light.

In March 2023, Spelman was extradited to the UK after his prison sentence ended, and he was charged with the Crewe offenses. He was remanded in custody until his sentencing.

In addition to his 23-year sentence, Spelman will serve a further one year on licence. He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for an indefinite period and must sign the Sex Offender Register for an indefinite period.

Detective Sergeant Lindsay Wooffitt thanked the victims for their bravery in coming forward and said she hoped the sentence provides them with some sense of closure. She stated, "Spelman was found guilty of despicable crimes, targeting young boys in the community where they lived, somewhere they should have been able to feel safe."

Wooffitt encouraged anyone who has been subjected to similar offending to report it to police. "People should feel confident that they will receive the help and support they need. All victims will be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, and any allegations will be taken extremely seriously and thoroughly investigated," she said.