Two Men Convicted of Child Sexual Abuse Spanning 1980s and 1990s

David Marsh and Anthony Whitehead have been found guilty of sexually abusing six young boys over a period spanning two decades. Their offenses occurred in Rochdale and Manchester during the 1980s and 1990s. Marsh, aged 74, and Whitehead, aged 72, faced conviction for grooming and sexually abusing the boys, who ranged in age from nine to 13 at the commencement of the abuse. Greater Manchester Police acknowledged the courage of the victims, who are now adults, for providing “painful and difficult testimony” throughout a four-week trial held at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court. The court was informed that the victims endured abuse for numerous years in Rochdale, with the perpetrators transporting them to various locations within Manchester while enticing them with cigarettes, alcohol, and money. A five-year investigation by Greater Manchester Police commenced in 2019, initiated by a man disclosing to an authority figure that he had been sexually abused by two individuals during his childhood. Detectives discovered that one of the alleged abusers had passed away, but the second individual, Marsh, residing in Northenden, was still alive. According to the police force, detectives subsequently started to uncover evidence of a prolonged pattern of offenses committed by Marsh and Whitehead, who lives in Atherton. The jury reached a unanimous verdict, finding both men guilty of 35 sex offences. Detective Constable Andrea Richards expressed her appreciation and gratitude to all the male survivors who stepped forward and recounted their experiences. She stated, “I want to make clear, none of the male survivors should feel they have to carry the shame or guilt in this case, it is not theirs to carry. I hope that they all feel that they have finally got some justice.” Wendy Chappell, District Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West’s rape and serious sexual offence unit, commented: “Marsh conducted a vile campaign of sexual abuse on children as young as nine, while Whitehead sexually abused a fourteen-year-old boy. They acted solely for their own self-gratification, with no thought for the life-changing trauma their abuse would cause.” Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker remarked that the investigation served as a “telling demonstration of how GMP does not allow the passage of time to be a barrier to justice.” Marsh, of Northenden, and Whitehead, of Atherton, are scheduled for sentencing on 27 November.