Man who went on the run after subjecting child to 'unimaginable world of abuse' is jailed

James Atkinson, 57, was sentenced at York Crown Court today after he pleaded guilty to 15 sexual offences, including rape of a child under 13, sexual assault and indecent assault.

He subjected the girl to “an unimaginable world of abuse” over six years while he was living in Harrogate and it began in 1999, before she started school.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, did not tell anyone about the abuse until she went to university and she then reported it to the police last year.

The court heard Atkinson was released on bail after he pleaded guilty to the offences, but he did not show up for his first sentencing hearing in January, because he went to Lake Windermere to “contemplate his fate”.

The former warehouse worker was arrested by Lancashire Police officers two weeks later and remanded in custody.

Harry Crowson, prosecuting, told the court the victim will be “forever haunted” by the abuse and she struggles with depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

“She will never fully truly recover, regardless of where she goes in life, from the unimaginable world of abuse that she has suffered,” he said.

David Callam, defending, said his client confessed as soon as he was confronted about his crimes and he accepts “there are no excuses at all”.

He also said Atkinson offered “something of an explanation”, claiming the abuse started after his “previously happy marriage deteriorated and the physical side of the marriage became non-existent”.

Judge Simon Hickey sentenced Atkinson to 13 years imprisonment and imposed a restraining order that prevents him from contacting the victim.

The judge said: “She (the victim) has been haunted by all this abuse. She had been emotionally and physically damaged and she's still affected. This is a life sentence for her, in my judgement.”