Sex Offender’s Jail Time Nearly Doubled to 20 Years After Outcry Over Lenient Sentence
King’s Original Sentence Slammed as Too Soft
Michael King, 33, a convicted sex offender, has seen his prison sentence nearly doubled to 20 years. The Court of Appeal stepped in after West Yorkshire Police and the victim’s family slammed the original term as far too lenient. The boost comes under the Unduly Lenient Sentences scheme, handed down on Friday.
Victim’s Trauma Highlighted by Police
Detective Inspector Mark Tester spoke out about the devastating impact on the victim. He said, “King’s offending has had a very traumatic impact on the victim. We hope the increased sentence he has now received will give her and her family a greater sense of justice as they continue to move on with their lives.”
Appeal Sees Original Judgment Overturned
Dishing out justice, the Court of Appeal quashed King’s earlier punishment of 10 years for rape and four concurrent years for multiple sexual assaults on a child under 13. The new sentence pushes his prison term to 20 years, plus a one-year extended licence period. King had already been slapped on the sex offenders register and hit with a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
The families’ fight for tougher justice shows the system working to uphold victims’ rights and send a clear warning to offenders.
