Manchester man who sexually assaulted girl is jailed for eight years
A man from Wythenshawe, Manchester, Mark Sheridan, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually assaulting a girl under 13. He was convicted after an investigation by the Child Protection team and received a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The victim's mother expressed the lasting trauma her daughter has endured, stating her life is "already broken." Authorities highlighted their commitment to tackling such crimes and supporting victims.
Wythenshabe Man Jailed Eight Years for Sexually Assaulting Young Girl
Mark Sheridan, 57, of Wythenshawe, Manchester, will serve eight years in prison after a jury at Bolton Crown Court found him guilty of sexually assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration. The verdict, delivered on 2 May 2025, followed his arrest in November 2024 after the child reported the assault.
Judge Recorder Mary Smith, sentencing Sheridan on Friday (6 June 2025), also imposed a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Detective Constable Victoria Banks, who led the Child Protection team investigation, said: “This has been a complex and upsetting investigation. Sheridan put the victim through two ordeals, firstly by committing this heinous offence and then making her give evidence. The girl and her family have shown enormous bravery and must now pick up the pieces - and we will continue to support them.”
The victim’s mother released a statement after the hearing: “I have a voice and will advocate for my daughter, to make sure when she is old enough to understand what happened, that she knows I did everything I possibly could, to make sure justice was served and this person was not free to sexually abuse any more children. The damage to my daughter has already been done and can’t be changed, her life is already broken.”
Greater Manchester Police revealed officers arrested 3,000 suspected sex offenders across the region in 2024 and safeguarded thousands of vulnerable people. Anyone affected by sexual violence can contact Saint Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre on 0161 276 6515, Greater Manchester Rape Crisis on 0161 273 4500, or We Are Survivors on 0161 236 2182.
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