Michael John Worton

A 73-year-old man from Swinton has been sentenced to three years in prison for a series of historic child sex offences spanning the 1970s and 1980s. Michael John Worton, of Moss Colliery Road, was convicted at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court following a two-week trial where he denied all charges but was found guilty by a jury on 16 counts.

The offences, which included five counts of indecent assault, three counts of indecency with a child, and eight counts of indecent assault on a male person, occurred while Worton worked in positions of trust on a farm and in a children's home. He abused his authority to target vulnerable children in environments where they should have been safe, exploiting their trust and vulnerability.

Detective Constable Nathan Roscoe from Greater Manchester Police's Salford district highlighted the bravery of the victims in coming forward, stating: "It’s with thanks to the great bravery of these victim-survivors in coming forward and disclosing the abuse they were subjected to that we have been able to bring this despicable man to some long-awaited justice. Worton preyed on vulnerable young children while he worked in positions of trust in the local community. He should be ashamed of himself, and that shame lies solely with him."

Chief Superintendent Neil Blackwood, Salford district commander, paid tribute to the victims' courage, noting: "I pay tribute to the victims in this case for their courage to ensure Worton is finally behind bars. We believe there may be further witnesses and victims in relation to this investigation and want to take this opportunity to appeal for them to please come forward." The police are reviewing previous investigations to identify and address all non-recent offences, and they believe additional victims may exist, urging anyone with information to contact them.

Worton showed no remorse during the proceedings. In addition to his three-year custodial sentence, he received three years on licence. The case underscores Greater Manchester Police's commitment to pursuing child sexual abusers, regardless of the time elapsed since the crimes.