'Wicked' sex offender gets 19 years in jail for abuse of children in Calderdale in the 1970s

A 68-year-old man has been given a prison sentence of almost 20 years for his 'wicked' abuse of a boy and a girl in Calderdale more than four decades ago.

A judge today said Steven Corby had been a fit and strong young man when he carried out his atrocious acts against his two victims and his current age and poor health were only small factors set against the “untold misery” he had caused to the complainants.

“You have refused to accept any guilt or responsibility for your offending,” said Judge Jonathan Rose.

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“I have seen not one iota of remorse from you and believe that you have none. Indeed the author of the pre-sentence report describes you as having scant empathy towards your victims.”

Corby, of Derby Road, Thornbury, Bradford, was convicted by a jury of a series of serious sexual offences against the boy including charges which would now be called rape.

He also raped a young girl, but tried to deny that charge by claiming that the youngster was “a consenting and willing participant”.

Judge Rose said that claim had been a fabrication and a lie which Corby had not supported with his own evidence because he did not go into the witness box during his trial.

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Neither of the complainants involved in the case can be identified for legal reasons and it is understood that the offending took place in Calderdale in the 1970s.

“You are now 68 years of age and it is over 40 years since you committed these offences, but you have a dreadful history of similar offending having been convicted of such offences in 1969, 1975, 1980, 1981 and 1984 and have served sentences of imprisonment for those offences, albeit you have committed no further offences since,” Judge Rose told Corby.

Judge Rose said the crimes against the two complainants were “truly wicked” and Corby had regarded the boy as “a mere sexual commodity”.

The judge said he had read victim personal statements which demonstrated the lasting impact of Corby’s crimes and he had considered whether to impose a life sentence was called for in his case.

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“I have come to the conclusion that it is not because your last conviction for sexual offences was now long ago and the sentence I will impose will ensure that your are not at liberty for a long time,” the judge told Corby.

“Although it is not possible to be certain it seems to me that the passage of time since that conviction and the length of the determinate sentence I am going to impose should be sufficient to protect the public from any risk of you committing further sexual offences in the future.”

Judge Rose imposed 19-year jail sentence in total and added an extended licence period of one year.

Corby will now have to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life.

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Detective Inspector David Shaw of Calderdale Safeguarding Unit said; “The passage of time is no barrier to justice, and I would hope todays lengthy sentence passed to Corby brings closure to his victims, who have shown immense bravery and courage in coming forward and giving their evidence before the courts.

“Protecting victims of sexual abuse continues to be a top priority and I hope this demonstrates our continued commitment to victims, that no matter how historic an offence, that in coming forward you will be taken seriously and dealt with sensitively and that officers will do everything in their power to bring offenders of these heinous crimes to justice.”