James William Bond

A man from Blackpool has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for committing non-recent child sex offences against a victim in the early 1980s. James William Bond, aged 59 and residing on Dickson Road in Blackpool, pleaded guilty to five serious offences at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in October 2021. The offences included the indecent assault of a child under the age of 16, with the abuse occurring over a number of years.

Bond, who was formerly known as Stephen Raymond Shea and originally hails from Stoke-on-Trent, began the abuse in the early 1980s. The court at Coventry Crown Court, where sentencing took place on 25 April 2022, heard details of how the prolonged abuse had a profound and lasting impact on the victim, affecting their self-esteem and relationships well into adulthood.

Detective Constable Tracy Adams from Staffordshire Police’s Child Protection and Exploitation Team commented on the case, highlighting the victim's courage in coming forward after years of silence. The determination shown by the survivor was instrumental in bringing Bond to justice for these abhorrent crimes. Staffordshire Police investigated the matter, leading to Bond's admission and subsequent imprisonment.

The sentencing underscores the commitment of law enforcement to pursue justice in historical child sexual abuse cases, regardless of the time elapsed since the offences occurred.