Ronald Pearson – North Yorkshire

A man has been jailed for 27 years after being found guilty of 24 non-recent child abuse offences against five girls in the Ryedale area 🚨

Ronald Pearson, 75, of New Lane, Sheriff Hutton, was brought to justice on Thursday 6 November 2025 following a two-week trial at York Crown Court.

He was remanded into custody ahead of today’s (Wednesday 21 January 2026) sentencing hearing.

As well as the significant custodial sentence, Pearson has also been made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Register of Sex Offenders for the rest of his life.

North Yorkshire Police became aware of the allegations against him in September 2022 after one of the five victims, who was aged 15 at the time, bravely made a disclosure.

Three more girls were quickly identified as victims by the Scarborough and Ryedale Safeguarding Investigation Team.

These offences occurred during the past two decades in the Ryedale area when the victims were aged between 5 and 18.

A search of North Yorkshire Police’s intelligence systems identified a possible match to Pearson regarding a previous complaint by a fifth victim.

She had originally come forward to the police in 2004 but had felt unable to continue with her complaint.

However, despite difficulties due to a name change, she was successfully traced by detectives in February 2023.

She formally outlined the multiple rapes and sexual assaults that Pearson had subjected her to more than 30 years ago in the Scarborough area when under the age of 14.

Pearson was interviewed under caution and subsequently charged in September 2024.

These include three counts of rape of a female under 16; sexual assault on a female; assault of a girl under 13 by touching; assault of a girl under 13 by penetration with a part of your body/a thing; indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14; causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in a non-penetrative sexual activity; and engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl 13-15.

🗣️ Detective Constable Kate Peet, of the Scarborough and Ryedale Safeguarding Investigation Team, said: “It took a great deal of courage for the five victims to provide their evidential accounts and to attend court to give evidence against Pearson.

“He denied the offences in police interview and at court, therefore creating additional trauma for the victims who had to recount extremely painful experiences from their younger lives before a judge and jury.

“The jury identified that Pearson was lying. They could see he had manipulated each of the young victims and engineered opportunities to be alone with them, then abusing them for his own sexual gratification.

“The prison sentence and public protection measures handed to Pearson reflect the gravity of the harm he has caused to the victims, whose lives have been irreparably changed by his acts.

“He is proven to be a dangerous sexual predator who poses an extreme risk to girls.

“I recognise how difficult and brave it was for the victims to vocalise what Pearson had done to them. I hope that in observing justice being done, the victims are able to begin a process of healing.

“I have nothing but admiration for all five victims who found the strength to speak out about their abuse and abuser and seek the justice they deserved. I wish them well for the future.”

🌐 Victim personal statements read out in court (Please note, these have been adapted to protect their lifetime right to anonymity)

🗣️ “My words feel inadequate to describe the profound and long-term effects that RP’s (Ronald Pearson’s) sexual abuse has had on me and those who I am close to over the last 30+ years.

It has taken much emotional strength and soul searching to try and put into words the impact that his despicable actions have had on my life.

Grooming as we know it today, may not have been talked about in the late 1980s to early 1990s, but that is what he did.

He knew exactly what he was doing to meet his own warped sexual desires.

When he started to touch me inappropriately, I knew no different. He told me it was ‘our secret’ and I ‘mustn’t tell anyone’. I was young, innocent and had no reason not to trust him.

It was only when it progressed to full penetration that I recall things started to feel very different, extremely uncomfortable and scary. The impact of a fully grown, sexually aroused, physically strong man, penetrating a young girl is horrific and evil.

The depth of the psychological impact that this has had on my life is simply inexpressible.

The confusion was overwhelming and sadly this was reflected in my behaviour.

Regrettably, my behaviour as a teenager was extreme, even violent at times for which I still carry immense shame. It would be fair to say I was a very angry, volatile and unstable teenager.

I can see now that this was a reaction to what I had been exposed to and experienced, and I didn’t know how to cope with the complexity of emotions. This has had a profound effect on many past and present relationships, particularly with my mum, my sister and my husband.

Due to RP’s actions, I have experienced extensive mental health problems throughout my life: depression, anxiety, low self-worth, panic attacks and flashbacks.

I have required continuing specialist medical and psychological support throughout my whole adult life. Due to flashbacks, sleep is difficult even now.

Due to depression and self-loathing, I have had a lifelong unhealthy relationship with food.

Due to trying to escape the inner pain and recurring memories, I have self-harmed on several occasions. The list could go on…

What should have been happy and joyful times in my childhood, were ripped away and replaced with feelings of shame, sadness and anger that I could not deal with.

My memories from late teens, when exams and academic success should have been my focus, I was filled with him being a constant psychological presence.

I have few positive memories of that time, only silent screams, concealed tears, and a deep desire to escape my life.

However, despite what I had endured, I went to university, and I naively hoped this was the start of a new life.

Unfortunately, my university days and early 20s were spent mentally wrestling with what I had been through.

I felt immense guilt and shame for the abuse that I had experienced and my resulting behaviour towards my family. I began taking medication for my mental health, which has increased in dosage/strength for over 20 years to the high level it is today.

This continues to need reviewing regularly. My deepest longing as a young adult was to be free from the memories, feel loved and secure, but felt that any intimate relationship would be impossible.

Instead, I felt impure, dirty and used. This resulted in a recurring desire to end my life.

Aside from all of this, I have tried not to let RP, and the resulting consequences of his actions, ruin my life completely.

I am married to a wonderful, kind man. Fortunately, my husband is a very understanding, patient and a loving gentle-man, but he too has had to suffer the effects of the abuse I have endured.

Any intimate relationship has been incredibly difficult for me to embrace in a positive way as my understanding of this was perverted from a very young age.

My husband has had to understand and adapt to having a relationship with significant challenges, but he has helped me to pick up the pieces of a life that has been close to being destroyed on several occasions.

What happened to me has affected me in so many ways both as a mum, a wife, a daughter, a sister, and a friend.

In early 2023, after being unexpectedly approached by the Police, I was forced to reflect again on every minute detail of the abuse RP inflicted.

After much deliberation I decided to make a complaint and pursue a criminal case. In order to give my ABE (Achieving Best Evidence) interview and to do it justice, I had to re-live and speak out the details of what had happened to me.

I needed to articulate details that I had never previously verbalised – not even to my closest confidant or specialist therapist. I cannot describe how excruciating this was, and knowing that every part of the horrific, intimate and deeply sensitive memories would be shared with people I have never met and played to a courtroom full of strangers has been utterly horrendous.

The deepest aspects of the trauma I have carried for so many years were dragged to the forefront of my mind. Furthermore, having my personal diaries, medical records, old friends, and family being scrutinised for evidence has felt deeply invasive and exposing.

This caused me to be diagnosed with PTSD and I was signed off work for an extended period as I was unable to cope with the memories that dominated every waking moment and stopped me from sleeping. I even sadly had a car accident as result of exhaustion and stress.

Over the years, the memories of the abuse I have experienced and the subsequent effects on my life have been utterly exhausting. They have laid heavy alongside the feeling of guilt that this has likely happened to others, and I didn’t do more to prevent RP from harming anyone else sooner.

Now, I know that I have done my very best to seek justice and protect others from his evil actions. The emotional, physical, and mental battle to get to the point of a guilty verdict will have been worth it.

Whilst I am sure there may still be difficult times ahead coming to terms with what has happened during this case, I only hope I will eventually feel a sense of freedom from the horrific past that has had a hold on my life for too long.
I will now live my life, in the light of truth having been exposed and RP finally being brought to justice after all these years.”

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🗣️ “I recently tried to read the relatively new book series by Richard Osman, but the fact an elderly man in the book is called Ron, made me so uneasy; I couldn’t get past it. It may seem trivial to mention, but it is the little things that I see in day-to-day life which make it obvious I was, and still am, emotionally affected by the predatory actions of him.

Knowing how deep the scars of my own trauma run, and all the ways in which I still feel this scar, I cannot imagine the horror of being consistently exposed to his suffocating, defiling grip.
To rob a child of their innocence like this, to take advantage of their pure defencelessness, was a choice made by a grown man that deserves to be condemned.”

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Reporting child sexual abuse – no matter how long ago it happened ⬇️

• Make a report via our website or call 101 and speak to the Force Control Room.
• If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, always dial 999 for an emergency response.
• Anyone concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline for advice on 0808 800 5000. Adult victims of non-recent sexual abuse can also get in touch for support.
• Childline is available for young people on 0800 1111 or go to https://orlo.uk/uls9Z
• If you prefer not to go direct to the police and are not in immediate danger, you can contact North Yorkshire’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) on 0330 223 0362 or visit https://orlo.uk/ZJ6ZU
• You can also contact the Supporting Victims in North Yorkshire at https://orlo.uk/Tgu69 or call 01609 643100.