Jacob Daniel

In a remarkable turn of events, 21-year-old Jacob Daniel from Partridge Crescent, Thornhill, Dewsbury, contacted West Yorkshire Police in March 2019 to confess that he had committed child sex offences against two young children, stating that he 'should not get away with it'. The offences, which involved sexual assault and sexual activity with a boy and a girl both aged under 10, occurred in West Yorkshire in 2018.

Leeds Crown Court heard that the case relied entirely on Daniel's voluntary admissions, as there was no other evidence from the victims. Prosecutor Philip Standfast detailed how, in February 2019, the girl disclosed to her mother that Daniel had kissed her, prompting a police interview where Daniel admitted to the kissing and received a caution. However, the following month, Daniel proactively called the police to reveal the full extent of his actions, including assaults on both children that had not been previously disclosed.

Daniel pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual assault on a girl, one charge of sexual activity with a girl, one charge of sexual assault on a boy, and one charge of sexual activity with a boy. The court was informed of his prior convictions for possessing an offensive weapon and battery. Mitigating, Kitty Colley described Daniel as an 'immature and naive' individual who had been abusing alcohol and cannabis, which likely exacerbated his mental health issues, including an anxiety disorder linked to cannabis use.

Judge Simon Phillips QC, sentencing Daniel to three years' imprisonment, acknowledged the defendant's cooperation and remorse, noting, 'It is on the strength of your voluntary admissions that this indictment is brought before the court and that is an indication of not only cooperation, but also remorse and contrition.' The judge also highlighted Daniel's regular use of alcohol and drugs at the time of the offences. As a result, Daniel's name will be placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

This case, reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post on 16 March 2020, underscores the unusual nature of the confession, with Colley stating, 'The most astonishing feature is that, but for that approach by the defendant, nobody would have known about these offences.' Daniel expressed genuine remorse, feeling 'very bad about it and disgusted with himself'.