Police welcome sentencing of Bolton paedophile Ian Isherwood

As previously reported by the Warrington Guardian, Ian Isherwood was jailed for 12 years, with three years on extended licence.

The court heard that the 43-year-old was investigated by police back in 2024, when officers uncovered hundreds of indecent images of children on his mobile phone.

This was following information officers had received relating to a PayPal account, which was linked to Isherwood, being used to purchase indecent images of children.

These images 52 category A images – the most severe form of abuse involving child rape – as well as 72 category B and 323 in category C.

Isherwood’s phone was also found to contain a picture of a young girl, who was identified and located in Warrington.

She informed police that she had been sexually abused by Isherwood when she was under the age of 13.

Isherwood had engaged in sexual activity with the young girl by touching her genitals orally, masturbating in front of her and encouraging her to perform a sex act on him.

The 43-year-old, of Shipton Street in Bolton but formerly of Warrington, denied the sexual offences, pleaded not guilty and forced his victim to endure a trial at court.

He was later found guilty by a jury and later jailed for his crimes, as well as ordered to abide by a sexual harm prevention order and remain on the sex offenders register ‘until further order’.

A restraining order was also put in place to protect his victim for the next 18 years.

“Isherwood is clearly a danger to children and has quite rightly been handed a significant prison sentence to reflect the severity of his crimes,” said DC Briony Shirley following Isherwood’s sentencing.

“Being in possession of indecent images of children is never a victimless crime, and on this occasion, officers identified and subsequently safeguarded a girl who Isherwood had previously abused. 

“The fact that he had then continued to look at images of children following this shows that he had absolutely no regard for anything other than satisfying his twisted and perverted sexual desires.

“I hope the victim in this case has been able to get some closure over what happened to her, knowing that Isherwood is locked up where he cannot do this to anyone else.

“If you have been a victim of similar offences, please report it to Cheshire Police by contacting us on 101 or reporting it through our website.”