Martin Tidder, 36, from Hull, has been jailed for 14 years after being found guilty of sexually abusing three young boys
A paedophile and serial sex offender who targeted three young boys has been jailed for 14 years.
Martin Tidder, 36, of Brazil Street, Hull, denied a string of child sexual offences, including rape, but was convicted by a jury on February 4. Hull Crown Court heard that the victims suffered “catastrophic” and “seismic” harm as a result of the serious sexual abuse they were subjected to by Tidder.
He was found guilty of four counts of rape, five counts of assaulting a boy by touching, four counts of causing or inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity and one count of sexual assault of a child.
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David Godfrey, prosecuting, said the harm caused by Tidder had been “severe”, with one victim describing it as “disgustingly destructive”, Hull Live reports. Another victim condemned Tidder’s “selfish and manipulative behaviour”, saying the abuse had caused serious emotional damage. The third victim said it had had a “massive effect” on him.
“Grooming is a key feature,” Mr Godfrey told the court, adding that Tidder had taken steps to prevent the boys from reporting the abuse to police.
During the trial, Mr Godfrey said Tidder “liked little boys” and had shown “cartoon pornography” to two of them to get them “interested in that sort of thing” before subjecting them to sexual activity. He said Tidder was “interested in this sort of sexual activity” and had used the boys as a “vehicle” to “exercise those sorts of desires”. Tidder denied the allegations.
Mr Godfrey told him: “You sexually abused all three of them, didn’t you? These three lads are telling the truth. You sexually abused them.” Tidder replied: “No.” He told the court: “It didn’t happen.”
Tidder had been on bail during the trial but was remanded in custody after being convicted by the jury. While on bail, he was frequently seen laughing and joking on the court concourse and outside the building during breaks in proceedings.
At the sentencing hearing, one of the victims said Tidder had been “laughing throughout the whole case”. There was no smiling or laughing from him, however, as he was sentenced.
Julia Baggs, mitigating, said: “The defendant was convicted after a trial and there is little that can be said in the circumstances.” She said of the offences: “It’s clearly had an impact on everyone.”
Tidder had previously worked full time and had the support of some people who knew him. He will serve an extended licence period of one year following his release and must sign the sex offenders register for life.
As he left the secure dock to be taken down to the cells, Tidder ran through the inner door that had been opened for him but immediately fell face-first onto the floor. He was helped to his feet by a custody officer.
The public gallery and an adjacent area were packed with people connected to the victims. Applause broke out twice as the hearing concluded.
In a statement issued by Humberside Police, one of the victims said: “Martin made me feel complicit without understanding what was happening or why it was bad, and I had to compartmentalise.
“It’s as though I always knew, even then, how wrong it was, but without the developed mind and emotional understanding to know how to cope with it. Hopefully once this is all settled I can rebuild myself and shape my future to eradicate this black cloud.
“Some men never share their abuse, some reveal it on their deathbed, I want to change that. I want to stand by those boys and tell them it is okay to speak out.
“Lastly, I would also just like to give thanks to my family, my friends, DC Rebecca Davison, the judge, and most importantly – the jury. I wish I could buy you all a thousand pints.”
