John North

John North, a 71-year-old man from Northallerton in North Yorkshire, was imprisoned in 2021 following convictions for a series of serious child sex offences committed over several decades. His crimes came to light through investigations that revealed a pattern of abuse against young victims, leading to his trial at Durham Crown Court.

In March 2021, North was found guilty of 11 counts of sexual assault on a child, two counts of indecent assault on a child, one count of assault by penetration, and one count of causing a child to watch a sexual act. These offences occurred between 2002 and 2017 and involved young girls. He was sentenced to a decade-long custodial term for these crimes. Just a few months later, in June 2021, North admitted to additional historic sex crimes committed in the 1970s when he was a teenager. These included indecency with a child and indecent assault on a young girl, as well as a rape. The assaults took place on two occasions while he was working on a farm near Darlington, County Durham, and culminated in a rape at a different farm in North Yorkshire. For these admissions, he received an additional 42 months in prison, extending his overall sentence.

The impact of North's actions was profound, as detailed in a victim impact statement from the woman he raped as a child. She stated that North 'took her childhood away' and that she suffered from 'severe anxiety and flashbacks' as a result of the trauma. She only came forward with her allegations after learning of similar accusations made by young girls against North in more recent years, which prompted the broader investigation.

North began serving his sentence at HMP Northumberland, a prison in the North East of England. Tragically, he died on 7 August 2024 from metastatic lung cancer, just three years into his imprisonment. A fatal incident report released by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman reviewed his case and concluded that the care he received in prison was 'of a good standard', equivalent to community care, with no non-clinical issues of concern and no recommendations made.

The case was handled by Durham Constabulary, reflecting the locations of the offences in County Durham and North Yorkshire. Northallerton, North's hometown, and Darlington were central to the proceedings, highlighting the local impact of his crimes within the United Kingdom.