Ex-Darlington councillor jailed for child sex offences

Former Harrowgate Hill councillor Mark Burton was jailed for 22 months in 2012, for sexually assaulting a girl, and for having indecent images of children.

But he has now been locked up for more than a decade for a string of sex offences towards the boy, which Durham Crown Court heard probably pre-date him being jailed in 2012.

The court was told the latest set of offences only came to light following a more recent complaint.

Burton, 57, who was once chair of the council’s Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee, still denies four counts of sexual assault, two of sexual activity with a child and one of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, despite being found guilty by unanimous jury verdicts in January.

Mark Burton jailed for 12 years for sexual offences involving a boy (Image: Durham Constabulary)

The court was told the victim, now an adult, chose not to give an impact statement to the court.

But Daniel Ingham, prosecuting, said the victim told police the offences had left him, “absolutely f***ed up”, and led to him turning to cannabis misuse.

Mr Ingham said the defendant’s “relevant” conviction for offences committed in 2011 led to him being made subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), plus registration as a sex offender for ten years.

Burton, now of Littleburn Lane in Langley Moor, near Durham, was barred from serving as a councillor after the 2012 conviction.

The court was told the defendant, who initially denied the 2011 allegations, before, near the trial, making admissions, remains in denial of the latest offending.

Mark Burton pictured prior to his previous conviction in 2012 (Image: The Northern Echo)

Ian West, in mitigation, said the offences happened “in batches” but all in a relatively short spell.

Mr West said since serving the sentence imposed in 2012 the defendant has not been in any trouble since.

Judge Nathan Adams, who presided over the trial in January, told Burton that when he was convicted in 2012 for offending in 2011, “what was not known was that there was another victim, which only came to light later”.

The judge said the offences were “similar in nature”, but with a different victim, so had they been dealt with all together, in 2012, Burton would have received consecutive sentences.

Judge Adams added that, given his continued denials, he has showed no remorse or empathy with his victim.

Imposing the 12-year sentence, the judge said the defendant must serve at least two-thirds of it, eight years, behind bars, before his release on licence.

Judge Adams said the indefinite SHPO remains in force from the 2012 conviction, but he also now made Burton subject of registration as a sex offender for life.