17/05/2026
🚨TWO PAEDOPHILES HAVE BEEN JAILED FOR 30 YEARS AFTER SEXUALLY ABUSING BOYS IN ROCHDALE AND MANCHESTER
David Marsh, 74, from Northenden, and Anthony Whitehead, 72, from Atherton, were today (27 November 2024) sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court after a jury unanimously found them guilty of 35 s*x offences on boys aged between 9 and 13.
The offending took place in Rochdale, Bolton and Mr Manchester in the 1980s and 1990s.
More about the offences they were convicted of can be found here .
Child s*xual exploitation (CSE) specialist investigators began a comprehensive five-year investigation back in 2019, after one of the survivors, confided in a person of authority that he had been s*xually abused by Mr Marsh as boy.
Detectives from GMP Rochdale's Complex Safeguarding Mr Team - one of 10 such dedicated teams across every town and city in Greater Manchester - and the Child Sexual Exploitation Major Investigation Team, worked meticulously to identify any other survivors.
Through several enquiries and extensive background work, as well as working with partner agencies, we began to build a clear picture of a history of offending by Mr Marsh and Mr Whitehead, who both did not know each other, on boys in Rochdale.
Mr Marsh and Mr Whitehead preyed upon these boys and exploited their vulnerabilities, taking them to other parts of Mr Manchester while they groomed them with ci******es, alcohol and money.
They abused these boys and discarded them to deal with years of trauma and pain, as they carried on with their seemingly 'ordinary' lives.
One of the victims has spoken of feeling "knee deep in shame", with most - if not all - having a mistrust of authority, including police.
The investigation team has been able to work at the victims' pace and build their trust throughout the case.
Throughout the course of the investigation, detectives uncovered evidence of Mr Marsh's sinister attraction to children - with video footage he had taken in Thailand of him interacting with a group of young boys being used as part of the prosecution case in court.
We believe there may be others affected by this case out there and when they are ready, we will listen.
Mr Marsh was sentenced to 27 years and Mr Whitehead was sentenced to seven years.
Both must serve at least two thirds of their sentence.
If you or someone you know has been r***d or s*xually assaulted, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police, or a support agency so you can get the help and support available.
- Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Mr Manchester provides a comprehensive and co-ordinated response to men, women and children who live or have been s*xually assaulted within Greater Manchester.
