Convicted Sex Offender Jailed for Approaching Young Girls

A convicted sex offender has been jailed for four years after approaching two eight-year-old girls and offering them money to get into his car.

William Harrison, 63, from Bradford, approached the girls at an Asda supermarket in September 2022. After buying them sweets, he led them to his car, showed them an explicit image on his phone, and offered them £5 each to enter the vehicle.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Harrison had a history of sexual offenses, including a previous conviction for sexual assault on a lone female and further offenses of exposure and outraging public decency involving teenage girls.

Recorder Anthony Hawks, who sentenced Harrison, stated that he had "troubling" sexual material on his phone and that he had used the pretext of the sweets to lure the girls to his car.

"You offered them money to get in your car," said Recorder Hawks. "Very sensibly they refused."

In addition to his prison sentence, Harrison was also subjected to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order for an unlimited time. He will also be on the sex offenders register for life.

Det Insp Tom Swift of West Yorkshire Police commended the victims for their "bravery" and described the incident as "every parent's worst nightmare."

"Harrison is a danger to children," Swift said. "Fortunately, these girls weren't hurt, but were clearly distressed about what happened."