David Lawn 62

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A man who sexually abused a child over the course of six years is now behind bars following an investigation by specialist safeguarding detectives in Leeds.

David Lawn, 62, of St Johns Garth, Aberford, began sexually assaulting the victim in the 1990s. 

She then came forward to disclose the abuse as an adult, and in 2021 the Leeds Safeguarding Unit launched a detailed investigation culminating in Lawn being charged with multiple sexual offences.

He went on trial at Leeds Crown Court last month where he was found guilty of all 16 charges including three counts of raping a female under the age of 16.  

On Friday 13 February Lawn was given an extended sentence of 20 years in prison plus one year on license, and he will be added to the sex offenders register for life.  

In a lengthy and extremely powerful victim impact statement, the woman described how the abuse had affected every part of her life – you can read a summary of her words below:

“As a young child, I learned fear long before I learned safety. I should have been learning to read, to play, to trust — instead I was learning how to disappear inside myself, how to make my body small and my voice smaller.  

“As I grew older, the confusion hardened into something heavier. I learned to split myself in two — the girl who smiled and played and went to school, and the girl who carried a secret so heavy it bent her spine.

“As a young adult, I carried the weight of my childhood like an invisible rucksack filled with stones. I was already exhausted, already living a life shaped by survival rather than possibility.  

“Adulthood, so far, has been a long lesson in learning how to live with a nervous system that never learned to rest. I check doors and windows repeatedly, I plan every outing with escape routes. Even in my own home, I am scanning for danger, waiting for it.

“For decades, I lived as two people inside one body — the terrified little girl who learned to freeze, to hide, to survive and the adult who learned to function while carrying wounds no one could see. I wore a mask so well that even I sometimes believed it. But underneath it all, the child inside me was still waiting to be heard.

“This statement is her voice. This process is her truth. This moment is her justice.

“She finally has someone standing up for her. She finally has someone telling the truth she was never allowed to speak. I hope she can look at the woman I am now and feel proud. Proud that I didn’t stay silent. Proud that I fought. Proud that I survived long enough to tell her story.

“And now, for the first time, I know he cannot reach me. That knowledge is a kind of freedom I have never felt before.  

“I cannot change what happened to me. But I can choose what happens next. I can choose to speak, to stand, to reclaim the parts of myself that were taken.  

“I have a voice now. I have truth now. I have strength now.

“She is scared. I am not.”

Detective Constable Christine Walkin, who led the investigation, said:

“Lawn subjected a vulnerable young girl to a campaign of sickening abuse and this has understandably had a significant impact on her life.  

“Following a lengthy investigation we were able to obtain enough evidence to secure an extensive list of charges against Lawn, all of which he has now been convicted of.

“I would like to recognise the immense courage shown by the victim throughout the investigation and court proceedings. I hope the knowledge that Ward will now spend a substantial amount of time behind bars will provide some comfort as she works hard to move on with her life.

“I also hope the successful outcome in this case might encourage any victims of similar offences to please come forward and report them to us.  

“We treat all sexual offences, recent or not, extremely seriously. We have specialist officers who can support you through the process and will do everything we can to get justice for you.”