Children’s sex abuser is guilty of 33 crimes

A MAN who sexually abused four children in Yorkshire for years is finally to be brought to justice.

Paul Andrew Degenhart was convicted yesterday at Sheffield Crown Court of a catalogue of child sex crimes in the 1980s and 1990s.

Following three days of deliberation by a jury, the 48- year- old was found guilty of 33 out of 34 charges of sexual offences against four children in Sheffield, including rape and attempted rape.

Police hailed the convictions as a victory for Degenhart’s victims, who showed “tremendous bravery” recounting the horrific details of their abuse to authorities to bring him to justice.

Degenhart was found guilty of 33 offences – 20 counts of indecent assault, six counts of indecency with a child, four counts of rape, two counts of a serious sexual offence and one count of attempted rape.

Detective Constable Helen Barrett, who led the investigation into Degenhart’s crimes, said the defendant had refused to accept responsibility for his crimes.

She said: “I wish to firstly commend the victims in this case, who have each demonstrated tremendous bravery in relaying to the police details of their horrific sexual abuse.

“Degenhart refused to accept responsibility for his crimes, meaning those victims have also had to recount before a jury the awful things that were done to them as children.

“They carried themselves with dignity and were very courageous throughout this process.

“He groomed and abused his victims, repeatedly subjecting them to sexual violence and threatening them not to tell anyone.”

Degenhart will be sentenced for his crimes when he appears at Sheffield Crown Court on November 18.