From raping to possessing sickening indecent images of children, these men and women committed some of the most heinous crimes for which they were sentenced to time behind bars.
Some victims took years to muster the courage to expose the culprits to authorities, and one offender was finally brought to justice for crimes committed over 30 years ago.
Meanwhile, a man subjected his victim to a series of sickening attacks over a period of six years, starting when she was just four years old.
A woman was also put behind bars after having sex with a schoolboy twice when he was 15 years old.
In addition to prison sentences, the offenders were also listed on the Sex Offenders’ Register.
South Yorkshire Police has urged victims who have suffered sexual abuse to come forward and report it, no matter how long ago it took place.
Below are 12 paedophiles that have been jailed since January 2022.
Meanwhile, a man subjected his victim to a series of sickening attacks over a period of six years, starting when she was just four years old.
5. Bradley Joynson
Bradley Joynson, from Rotherham, was jailed for four-and-a-half years after admitting to sexually exploiting four girls, all aged between 13 and 15-years-old.
Joynson, now 21, committed the offences when he was 18. He led his victims to believe they were in a relationship with him, collecting them in his car, buying them food and drinks, before having sex with them at his home address. Joynson also abused one of this victims in his car. Joynson preyed on his victims after meeting them through his friends. He then used coercion, pressure and force to ensure each girl would comply with his sexual requests, telling stories of how violent he could be so that they were terrified to disobey him. He was ordered to serve three years on licence following his release from prison. The depraved teenager’s offending first came to light when one of the girls contracted an STI, and another went missing from home overnight. Both circumstances led police to investigate and Joynson was arrested on 9 April 2019. He was later charged with 11 offences including rape and sexual activity with four children. Photo: SYP
Laura Stephenson, 28 was jailed and put on the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years after having sex with a schoolboy twice when he was 15 years old. She exchanged ‘flirty’ messages with the boy in 2018 before having sex with him at her home address whilst her boyfriend was away with work. Her victim suffered mental health issues and disclosed the abuse to his GP, before a referral was made to social care. In a police interview, Stephenson admitted the pair had sex but argued it was consensual and although she felt guilty, she attempted to blame her victim.
Stephenson appeared before Sheffield Crown Court in April having admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child. She was jailed for 21 months and handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Photo: SYP
Raymond Ellis, who moved from Sheffield to Bristol, assaulted a 17-year-old girl more than 30 years ago. On May 13, he was jailed at Bristol Crown Court for five years for an “horrific” historical sexual assault which left his victim “living with this for the past 33 years, not knowing who her attacker was”.
At 11.50pm on March 15,1987, his victim was approaching her home address after a night out with friends when she became aware of someone behind her. She began running but one of her shoes came off. She saw her pursuer pick it up and was struck on the head, grabbed and dragged along a nearby passage towards Earl Marshal School Fields, at the rear of Skinnerthorpe Road in Sheffield.
The attacker removed an item of her clothing which he used to tie her feet together and forced her to perform a sexual act. He then made her lay face down and fled. The victim was then able to flee to a nearby telephone box, where she called police.
Despite an extensive investigation involving many forensic submissions, her attacker was never traced.
But due to advances in forensic science, further forensic submissions were made which resulted in a match to Ellis.
A mixed DNA profile was obtained from the outer sleeve of the victim’s leather jacket she was wearing at the time. Photo: SYP
John Kelk, 68, from Barnsley, was jailed for 30 years for sickening attacks against three young girls which took place in the 1970s and 1980s and left his victims traumatised.
The allegations initially came to light in 2018, when one of the victims reported what had happened to her as a child to her local force. South Yorkshire Police launched an investigation and then two further victims came to the investigation team's attention.
The court heard that in addition to Kelk's sexual offending, he was also physically abusive to his victims. On one occasion he dragged one of the girls by her hair, beating her and making her drink weed killer.
Kelk entered a not guilty plea and forced his victims to give evidence at a trial. At Sheffield Crown Court on May 6, Kelk was found guilty of a total of 22 charges including rape and sexual assault. He was jailed for 30 years. Photo: SYP