A Bradford man who abused young males over a period of six decades has been jailed for a life term of 14 years with a minimum term of 7 years.
Philip Longbottom was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court today (Friday) after he pleaded guilty to more than 40 sexual offences committed against 12 males between 1969 and 2010.
He was sentenced to a life term of 14 years and told he must serve a minimum of seven years in prison.
Longbottom, 67, first came to police attention last year when two brothers, now living outside of West Yorkshire, informed officers here that he had abused them and several other children when they lived in Bradford.
As enquiries progressed more victims came forward to report Longbottom for instances of sexual abuse.
In earlier years Longbottom, of Oakdale Drive in Shipley, was a prominent member of the community and worked with charitable organisations such as the Scouting Association and the Sea Cadets.
He was also a very successful businessman, exporting textile milling equipment and in later years providing immigration services to foreign nationals.
He would use his position in the community to approach troubled families and gain access to their children - taking them on camping trips and other excursions across the North of England, Scotland and on some occasions into Europe.
He would then use his wealth to shower his victims with gifts and bribe them into silence.
Senior Investigating Officer, Chief Inspector Phill Bates, said:
"We are pleased with the sentence that Longbottom has received today."
"I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank his victims for their bravery in coming forward and hope they have gained some comfort in knowing that he will now be in prison for a considerable amount of time."
"We believe there may still be other victims of his out there and I would again urge them to come forward and speak to us."
"This case proves that justice has no time limit and we would ask victims of sexual abuse to engage with our specially trained officers, who will investigate all reports sensitively and thoroughly with the aim of bringing perpetrators to justice."
Adrienne Gower, Head of the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, said:
“Longbottom was a wealthy businessman and apparent pillar of the local community. Using his wealth and status, he befriended and then systematically abused young boys for over 30 years, in what amounted to a campaign of rape against multiple victims."
“ He groomed his victims by showering them with lavish gifts, money, foreign holidays and camping trips. He plied them with drugs and alcohol; assaulted and raped them, abusing their trust in him in the most obscene manner. He has damaged very many lives in over three decades of offending. I hope the life sentence handed down today is of some comfort to his many victims.”
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