E-scooter child-sex predator who failed to show up for his Leeds trial is found guilty
A paedophile who groped girls as young as 10 as he rode around on an electric scooter has been found guilty by a jury after he refused to attend his trial.
Predator Karl Davison offered no defence at all during the week-long trial at Leeds Crown Court where he was charged with five counts of sexual assault on children last summer.
The jury took just an hour to find him guilty of all offences.
The 43-year-old rode around the Middleton area over a two-day period in August last year, targeting young girls and offering them rides on his orange and black electric scooter.
He put his hand over the mouths of two victims to prevent them from screaming as he pulled at their underwear. His DNA was also later found on one girl’s underwear, and CCTV footage put him at the scene of his offending.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, he denied matters and then refused to leave his remand cell when it came to his trial.
Prosecuting, Katherine Robinson told the jury that on the afternoon of August 6 last year, a call was first made to police that two girls had been stopped Davison.
They had been playing in a field when he grabbed the hand of one youngster and rubbed it against his genitals.
She then ran and he then tried to put his hand down the waistband of the shorts of the second girl and pull them down. He put his hand over her mouth but her friend was able to drag her from his clutches.
On the same evening, a third girl was offered a ride on his scooter while playing with friends. One of the young boys asked for ride, but was refused, however the girl was asked by Davison if she wanted a ride.
She declined but Davison persuaded her. During the ride he put his hand down her underwear. She slapped him and ran away, alerting a neighbour. CCTV was also obtained leading up to that offence.
The next day, three children were playing near a tunnel that runs underneath the M62, when Davison approached them, offering to only give the young girl a ride.
He rode off with the girl stood in front of him, holding onto the handlebars. He then pretended to lose control and crash sending them both tumbling.
He pinned her down on her front and pulled her trousers down. She was able to kick him off, and tried to escape, but he grabbed her and put her back on the floor with his hand over her mouth as he pulled her underwear down.
He then touched her genitals before she was able to escape again and raise the alarm.
Finally, the police were informed of another incident earlier in the day on August 7, when Davison struck up a conversation with a 15-year-old and began to touch her leg before she walked away.
During those two days, concern among the community grew and as a result, increased police patrols were arranged.
Davison was subsequently arrested while riding around at 3.20am on August 8. He gave a false name and was on a different motorised scooter, but matched the description, Ms Robinson said.
The orange and black scooter was later recovered from his home on Turnberry Gardens, Tingley.
His home was searched and he was found to have indecent images of children in category A, B and C, with A showing the most serious abuse.
Davison admitted three counts of making indecent images, but denied the five counts of sexual assault.
He will now be sentenced on April 8 for all matters and will remain in custody until then.