Mothers speak out after man jailed in Manchester for sexual offences against four girls
David Hulse pleaded guilty to 16 charges and was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order
A 38-year-old man has been jailed for 15 years for sexual offences against four underage girls.
David Hulse, of no fixed abode, was sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Tuesday.
He was given an extended three years on licence and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
What Hulse pleaded guilty to
Hulse pleaded guilty to 16 charges:
Two counts of engage in sexual communication with a child
Two counts of cause / incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration
Six counts of make indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child
Two counts of possess extreme pornographic image / images portraying an act of intercourse
Four counts of distribute an indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child
Hulse was arrested in March after a warrant was executed as part of an investigation into indecent images.
During the warrant, he threw mobile phones out of a window.
The phones were recovered, and both were found to contain a number of indecent images of children.
Hulse initially denied the allegations and answered "no comment" to questions in interview before later pleading guilty.
Mothers speak out
Before sentencing, a mother of one of the survivors said: "What has been particularly difficult is that she has struggled to understand why this happened to her and has, at times, felt that she is somehow to blame. We have had to continually reassure her that she was not responsible for another person's actions or for the choices they made.
"When guilty pleas were eventually entered, there was some relief that she would not have to go through that the court process, but the uncertainty and stress leading up to that point had already taken its toll."
"We hope that, in time, she and our family will be able to move forward from what happened. However, the impact has been significant, and the emotional consequences of what happened will remain with us for a long time."
Another mother described the impact on her daughter.
She said: "When you have a daughter, your primary duty is to protect her childhood, her innocence, and her belief that the world is safe. David Hulse deliberately took advantage of her innocence for his own sexual gratification.
"While this legal process is concluding, the harm caused to her and the memories of this ordeal will stay with us for the rest of our lives."
Police statement
Detective Constable Daryl Gray of GMP's City of Manchester Criminal Investigation Department said: "Hulse used messaging platforms to strike up a friendship with these young girls to gain their trust before using their vulnerability to coerce them into sharing sexual images.
"No parent should have to go through what Hulse has subjected these survivors too and I commend the entire families' bravery throughout this investigation - the support they have given these young girls but also the way they have maintained courage in the face of the evil that is David Hulse.
"I hope that this sentence gives the families an element of hope that Hulse is now behind bars, and they can start to put this chapter behind them. Hulse belongs in the past and the families can now look towards a future together without this person in their lives.
"Our officers are here to support anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse, no matter when it happened. Please come forward. We will listen. We will support you and we will do all that we can to bring these offenders to justice."