Husband and wife jailed for child sex abuse

Trevor Ortton was convicted of 23 charges against children following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court

A "dangerous man" who raped and assaulted children, encouraging his wife to join in with the abuse, has been jailed for 30 years.

Trevor Ortton, 64, of Ilkley Road, Sheffield, had sexually abused children since he was a child himself, continuing to offend alongside his wife, Joanne Ortton, until 2018.

Both denied the offending with the pair found guilty following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

They were sentenced on Monday with Joanne Ortton, 54, who the judge said "failed to report the abuse", jailed for eight years.

The impact of Trevor Ortton's abuse had been "extreme and permanent", leaving one of his victims depressed and angry, the court heard.

An attempted rape and several assaults went unreported for decades with the victim being left scared, Judge Peter Hampton said.

By the mid-1990s, Trevor Ortton had begun a relationship with his co-accused Joanne Ortton.

There were "truly brutal" assaults to which Joanne Ortton turned a blind eye, the court heard.

Trevor Ortton went on to "persuade" Joanne Ortton to sexually abuse a child, leading to her being charged with two counts of assault of a child by penetration and one count of cruelty to a person.

Joanne Ortton, of Norwood Road, denied the charges but was found guilty during a trial.

'No remorse'

The pair, who showed "no remorse" and left victims traumatised, were condemned for their "abhorrent" behaviour by the judge.

Accepting Trevor Ortton was controlling and coercive in his behaviour towards his wife, he told Joanne Ortton: "You failed to report the abuse. You joined in with the offending, taking the easier course."

Sentencing Trevor Ortton to 30 years in prison with a further year on licence, Judge Hampton said he was a "dangerous man", with 23 charges against him.

The judge paid tribute to "the great fortitude, strength and resilience" shown by all victims.

"The only people who bear any responsibility for the offending were the defendants, and the defendants alone", he said.

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