Child rapist found living in Wakefield is returned to prison

Carl Walker, 34, was handed an indeterminate-length prison sentence in 2007 after being found guilty of multiple assaults on a young girl.

He was released in 2015 and later began a relationship with a woman who had two children and he would stay at their house days at a time, Leeds Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor Kristian Cavanagh said that Walker was in breach of a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) he was given when he was sentenced in 2007. The order is of indefinite length and limits his contact with children.

He was also in breach of the Sexual Offences Act by failing to telling the police he was staying at the address.

He appeared in court via video link from HMP Hull, after being recalled to prison. He admitted the breaches.

Mr Cavanagh said Walker started the relationship with the woman in May 2020. He said she trusted Walker and he would often pick her children up and look after them.

Last month the police were called to the address in Wakefield for an unrelated incident.

He was arrested and was candid with officers, telling them he knew he was doing wrong, but did not think the relationship with the woman would last and "could not dig himself out" of the situation.

Mitigating, Neal Kutte said: "He has no excuses for this. He has been co-operative and admitted it throughout.

"He effectively had his head in the sand."

He said that since his release, Walker had made progress, first getting a job in a warehouse and then as a supervisor at a food production factory in Wakefield, so moved to the area.

There was never any suggestion that he was targeting the women's children.

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC told Walker he still "poses a serious risk" and his breaches had an "air of deception".

He was given 18 months' jail.

Walker was a teenager when he targeted a girl, who was just six at the time, in the Bradford area in the early 2000s. He groomed the youngsters then sexually abused her around 20 times.

He denied the charges but was found guilty of rape and indecent assault.

He will remain on licence for the rest of his life.