Parents to be sentenced for allowing sex abuse

Published on Fri Oct 01 16:54:17 BST 2010

A Greater Manchester couple who allowed their adopted children to be abused by two paedophiles are due to be sentenced.

Both girls told their parents about their ordeals but nothing was done to prevent future assaults because the mother said one of the men had "helped them with money and a car" so she could not step in.

In August, a jury at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court found the couple - who cannot be named for legal reasons - failed to protect the girls and convicted them of child cruelty. The adoptive father was also found guilty of sexually abusing the elder girl over a six-year period.

The husband and wife, aged 55 and 54, who live in the Trafford borough had denied all charges against them.

Last year, paedophiles Colin Molloy and Sam Nelson were jailed after admitting to a string of sexual offences involving the two youngsters, which started when they were as young as seven and 13.

Molloy, 46, admitted nine counts of raping the younger girl, while Nelson, 43, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity with both girls. During the couple's trial the jury was played videos of police interviews of the younger girl, who initially raised the alarm by telling her teacher last January.

She said Nelson had been "doing rude stuff to her" at his flat as he minded her after school while both parents were at work. I kept on trying to push him away but he kept on doing it," she told officers.

Nelson also played pornographic videos on his computer in her presence and masturbated to them. When she returned home she told her parents she had been assaulted and was sore.

"My dad said if he is hurting you then don't go down there, but I said if no one is in (at home) then I have no choice," she said. "My mum said they could not do anything because he helped them out with money and a car."

Molloy raped her under her own roof. Again both parents were informed but no action was taken. The couple were found guilty of several counts of child cruelty, while the husband was convicted of various child sex offences involving the older girl. Sentencing takes place at Minshull Street Crown Court from 2.15pm.