REALITY TV
TV
MOVIES
MUSIC
CELEBRITY
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use Accuracy & Fairness Corrections & Clarifications Ethics Code Your Ad Choices
© MEAWW All rights reserved
MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Vile gay couple who carried out 'campaign of rape' against young boy for several years get 38 years in jail

41-year-old Anthony Woodcock and 46-year-old David Bellamy used the child as their 'sexual plaything' in a case of abuse that lasted for several years
UPDATED MAR 9, 2020
(Source : Getty Images)
(Source : Getty Images)

A vile couple who had groomed a young boy just for sex and then carried out a "campaign of rape" against him, has now been sentenced to 38 years behind bars. The couple, 41-year-old Anthony Woodcock and 46-year-old David Bellamy, used the child as their "sexual plaything" in a case of abuse that lasted for several years. The couple, who used to run the village pantomime, used to simultaneously abuse the boy after plying him with tobacco, drink, and drugs, at their home in Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire.

A jury at the York Crown Court convicted the couple on a total of 21 sexual offenses, out of which 16 were of rape, the Daily Mail reported. The victim, who is now a man, could be seen struggling to hold back tears as he told the court the effect that the crimes had on him.

The court heard that he had nightmares and was taking anti-depressants since he was in his mid-teens. The victim also said that he had problems forming relationships. He said: "My childhood memories are all tainted and damaged because of what they did to me. I feel my life has only just started. I am only just discovering what life should be. Their abuse will stay with me forever."

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC said that the couple had been carrying out a "campaign of rape". He told them: "You used him as a sexual plaything for your sexual gratification. Woodcock and Bellamy had groomed the child for sex and from an early age, they began giving him the tobacco, alcohol, and "popper" drugs that they used in their "dissolute lifestyle". The furious judge continued: "There was additional depravity as the two of you used a variety of sexual toys. This sexual abuse and exploitation extended over many years."

Woodcock denied 10 charges of rape and two of sexual assault. Bellamy denied six of rape, two of sexual assault and one of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. Some of the charges in the case were specimen charges and each of them covered multiple occasions. The jury convicted the pair on all charges by the end of the six-day trial.

Bellamy was jailed for 18 years and Woodcock received a sentence of 20 years. Each of them will also have a year's extended supervision at the end of their sentence. Both of them were put on the sex offenders' register for life and will be put under a sexual harm prevention order that restricts their contact with children after they are released. The couple had also claimed while in the witness box that they did not behave inappropriately towards the child. Neither of them has any previous convictions.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: "Woodcock and Bellamy's horrendous campaign of grooming and abuse will have had a devastating effect on their young victim, who has shown tremendous courage in speaking out. It's now extremely important that he continues to receive support and we hope these sentences provide him with some degree of comfort."

"Reporting child sexual abuse is not easy for survivors of this awful crime, so it's vital they have confidence they will be listened to. The NSPCC is visiting primary schools across North Yorkshire with its 'Speak Out Stay Safe' service, empowering children to protect themselves from abuse and highlighting how to speak out if they ever experience it."

POPULAR ON MEAWW
MORE ON MEAWW