Scunthorpe man jailed for sexually abusing young girl over several years
John Atherton was sentenced to eight years behind bars after being found guilty at Grimsby Crown Court
A man from Bottesford who repeatedly sexually assaulted a young girl over a number of years has been sentenced to eight years in prison.
John Atherton, a 45-year-old from Messingham Road in Bottesford, Scunthorpe, was found guilty at Grimsby Crown Court on Wednesday 15th October 2025 of sexual assault of a child under 13 and assault by touching a child under 13.
He will also spend an additional year on licence and has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Investigation launched in 2022
Detectives began investigating in May 2022 after receiving a third-party report that a young girl had disclosed a number of sexual offences carried out by Atherton.
He was arrested shortly afterwards but denied any knowledge of the offences during interviews, claiming he would never do anything like that to a child.
Police praise victim’s bravery
Detective Constable Richard Brackenbury from the Child Sexual Exploitation Team led the investigation.
He said: “Atherton is a depraved individual who subjected an impressionable and innocent little girl to years of sexual abuse all for his own selfish and warped sexual deviancy.
“His decision to then deny all charges and force the girl and her family to relive her trauma in court was extremely cruel.
“We don’t underestimate the impact that this will have on the little girl as her and her family attempt to move on, and there is no doubt they will all be affected by this for the rest of their lives. I admire them all for their patience, bravery and strength throughout the entire process, made even more complex and prolonged because of Atherton’s rebuttal.”
He added that although the sentence cannot undo the harm caused, it demonstrates that sexual abuse will not be tolerated.
Support for victims
DC Brackenbury urged anyone affected by sexual abuse or assault to come forward.
He said: “Sexual abuse, in any form, whether it was five minutes or ten years ago, is utterly unacceptable, and we will always do everything in our power to put offenders before the courts and hold them accountable for their atrocious actions.”
Anyone seeking help can visit Humberside Police’s website for guidance and links to specialist support.