Yorkshire man who used electric scooter to talk to children before assaulting them jailed for 17 years

Karl Davison approached all of his victims on the scooter last summer, talking to them about it and in some cases letting them ride it before assaulting them.

The 43-year-old was stopped by police on August 8, 2024, after he matched the description given to officers following assaults on five girls as young as 10 in the Thorpe, Middleton and Belle Isle areas of Leeds.

Despite giving false details, he was quickly identified and arrested.

Police searched Davison’s home in Turnberry Gardens, Tingley, and found a mobile phone containing a large amount of explicit images.

He was found guilty of three counts of sexual touching on a child aged under 13, one count of assault by penetration on a child under 13 and one count of sexual assault on a child under 16 at a trial at Leeds Crown Court in February.

He also admitted possessing indecent images of children before his trial.

On Tuesday (Apr 8) Davison was jailed for 17 years and ordered to serve a seven-year extended licence period on his release.

e was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order which includes a ban on him entering parts of Wakefield and Leeds. He will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Superintendent Emma Winfield, who led the investigation for West Yorkshire Police, said: “These were truly despicable offences, and I welcome the sentence handed down to Davison. He is a dangerous predator who tried to entice young children to ride his scooter, with a view to sexually assaulting them.

“The victims and their families have shown immense bravery throughout this investigation, and I hope the fact Davison has been brought to justice can give them some sense of comfort moving forwards.

“Crimes of this nature are always taken extremely seriously, and I would urge any other victims of sexual offending, recent or not, to come forward so we can investigate it.

“We have specially trained officers who treat all reports sensitively and will support victims to secure justice for them.”