{"id":540895,"date":"2026-07-09T11:24:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T11:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/540895\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T11:24:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T11:24:16","slug":"child-predator-who-raped-four-girls-arrested-in-north-cork-after-fleeing-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/540895\/","title":{"rendered":"Child predator who raped four girls arrested in North Cork after fleeing UK"},"content":{"rendered":"

He spent 33 days on the run before being tracked down and brought to justice<\/p>\n

10:02, 09 Jul 2026Updated 10:44, 09 Jul 2026<\/p>\n

\"One-the-run<\/p>\n

One-the-run paedophile Jason Spence was traced to Ireland(Image: WYP)<\/p>\n

A paedophile who fled to Ireland after being found guilty of raping four young girls in the UK has been arrested. Police and Garda\u00ed traced Jason Spencer to a town in North Cork.<\/p>\n

Jason Spence was arrested and brought to justice after 33 days on the run, following an investigation by West Yorkshire Police, working closely with An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na<\/a>. West Yorkshire Police confirmed to CorkBeo that he was arrested in Mallow, Co Cork.<\/p>\n

Spence, 38, from Pudsey, was found guilty at Leeds Crown Court of multiple sex crimes<\/a>, including four rape offences and five offences of assault by touching. All the victims were under 13 years old at the time of the offences. He was also found guilty of offences related to making indecent images of children and possessing prohibited images of children.<\/p>\n

He was released by the court on April 2 on conditional bail ahead of sentencing, but failed to attend court on April 16. A warrant was then issued for his arrest.<\/p>\n

After 33 days, he was arrested in Ireland and returned to the UK. He was sentenced on Wednesday, July 8 and was given a 32-year extended sentence, consisting of a 24-year custodial sentence and eight years on licence.<\/p>\n

Detective Constable Gemma Varley said: “What these children have endured at such a young age is unimaginable. This was a complex investigation that required extremely sensitive handling, balancing the need to gain evidence to ensure Spence was convicted with being careful and considerate of the trauma that these young victims had already been exposed to.<\/p>\n

“The officer who led on this investigation, Nicki Vincent, has since retired but returned to give evidence during the trial, helping to ensure Spence has been held accountable for his actions.”<\/p>\n

Detective Constable Susan Abbott, who was also involved in the safeguarding investigation and then led the subsequent manhunt, said: “Spence has tried to evade justice by leaving the country before he could be sentenced, causing further distress to his victims and their family members.<\/p>\n

“We were determined to find him and worked closely with An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na to ensure he was arrested and brought back to the UK to be sentenced. Spence is clearly a dangerous man who has preyed on multiple children. I hope that knowing he is now in prison helps those who have been involved in this awful case as they continue to try and rebuild their lives.”<\/p>\n

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