Drifter with links to Sheffield who boasted about size of penis and had sex with three under age girls jailed

David Orchard was sofa surfing or living with his sister in Sheffield when he met the girls, aged 13, 14 and 15.

The 13 and 15-year-olds came from Sheffield or Barnsley. He had already been served with a police order to stay away with the older one when he had sex with her at a friend’s house.

He went on to meet the 13-year-old girl on Facebook and lured her and a schoolfriend to his sister’s home in Sheffield, where he had oral sex with her.

He moved to Exeter where he had a five month relationship with a 14-year-old schoolgirl during which they had unprotected sex in his car four times.

Police found social media messages with two more girls on his phone. He suggested sex with both and boasted about the size of his penis to the 13-year-old.

Orchard, aged 23, who is also known as Withyman, of no fixed address, admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child and two of sexual communications with a child.

He denied a further count of sexual activity with the child in Exeter but was found guilty at a trial in Exeter in January.

He was jailed for five years by Recorder Mr Jonathan Barnes at Exeter Crown Court. He was also put on the sex offenders’ register for life and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order which bans any future contact with under age girls.

He told him: ”What you did was very serious. You knew full well you should not have been engaging or attempting to engage in sexual activity with under age girls.

“You were three separate young girls and two further offences of sexual grooming of two more. I am sure you would have proceeded to commit sexual offences against them if you had the opportunity.

“If you come out of prison and get involved with under aged girls again, you will go to prison for a very long time indeed.”

Mr Richard Crabb, prosecuting, said the first offences were committed in Sheffield in July and August of 2017 with girls aged 15 and 13.

He had been seeing the older girl for some months and had been issued with an abduction order which banned him from contact. He cajoled into having full sex with her.

He met two 13-year-old girls on Facebook and invited them to his sister’s house where he got one of them to masturbate him. He then pushed her head down onto his penis and held it there for about 25 seconds.

He was arrested and interviewed by police and denied meeting the two girls, even after they had picked him out in an identification procedure.

Orchard was released under investigation and moved to Devon in October 2017, living under the name of Withyman and spending some of his time living in his car.

He met the 14-year-old shortly after arriving in Exeter and they had a relationship which included having sex in his car.

Mr Crabb said: ”He walked with her to school and must have known how old she was. She developed something of a crush on him and the sex was fully consensual. Her school alerted her mother who called the police.”

Orchard went on to groom two more girls on Facebook, sending a 15-year-old a picture of his penis along with a message.

Mr Ed Bailey, defending, said Orchard has learning difficulties which meant that his mental age is much lower than his physical age.

He has been classified as a vulnerable prisoner and has been unable to receive any visits from his family since the Covid lockdown in March.

He said there was no grooming involved in the Exeter case and all the sexual activity had been consensual.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues.

The Star is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions for unlimited access to Sheffield news and information online.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.

Thank you

Nancy Fielder, editor