Sex offender James King jailed for sexually abusing Lancashire schoolgirl

James King, 49, from Leeds, began sexual abusing a 14-year-old schoolgirl from Darwen in 2003 after contacting her in an internet chat room.

He was aged 28 when he first drove from his home in Yorkshire to meet her in Darwen. He then picked her up from school once or twice a week in her uniform and drove her to various, often secluded, locations to have sex with her.

During this time, he bought her a ring, giving her the impression they were engaged and introduced her to drugs.

The woman, now aged 34, realised she had been sexually groomed and exploited as a teenager after she read a news article about King being jailed for similar offences in July 2019.

The article said that he had been sentenced to 14 years in prison after being found guilty at Leeds Crown Court for offences of rape, gross indecency and indecent assault involving another school girl from when she was 12 to 15 years old.

After reading the article, she contacted police to report the offences he had committed against her two decades ago.

When he was interviewed by police, King said he was under the impression she was 16-years-old when they met and denied ever seeing her in a school uniform or picking her up from school.

He then tried to deflect his predatory behaviour by describing her as “controlling”. However, a month before his trial was scheduled to begin, he eventually admitted what he had done and pleaded guilty to eight sexual offences.

On Friday (September 29), King was sentenced to a further nine years imprisonment, which will begin in 2026 - the earliest day of his release from his current prison sentence.

He was also issued with a 30-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and he must sign the sex offender's register for life.

“James King is a dangerous sexual predator,” said Ruby Mckeague, senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West.

“It is clear from the timeline that he moved from sexually abusing one teenage girl straight onto abusing another with utter disregard for the affects it would have on them.

“Thanks to both victims coming forward, his past has caught up with him. The abuse will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on them, but I hope that today’s sentence will provide a small sense of closure to them and their families.

“The CPS is committed to bringing offenders like King, who sexually abuse and exploit young girls to justice, wherever and whenever that abuse takes place.”