More than 500 registered sex offenders are living among us in the Huddersfield area.
Official figures show the Huddersfield district has the third largest number of people on the sex offenders’ register in West Yorkshire.
The numbers were revealed by West Yorkshire Police in a Freedom of Information request submitted by the Examiner’s sister title, LeedsLive.
It shows there are 535 sex offenders in the area, out of a total 2,583 in the county, of which more than half (1,840) were registered due to committing sexual offences against children.
West Yorkshire Police was unable to say how many child sex offenders were living in Huddersfield. However, under ‘Sarah’s Law’, the public are now able to enquire whether a person with access to a child has committed sexual offences against a young person.
Officers are able to reveal details to a parent or carer if they believe it is in the interests of their child.
The figures also revealed that since 2015, a total of 58 sex offenders in West Yorkshire appealed against being placed on the register – of which 20 were successful.
Section 91A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 gives offenders the right to appeal a court ruling to place them on the register.
The offenders, however, must wait a minimum of 15 years if they were an adult when they committed the offence, or eight years if they were under 18.
According to the Ministry of Justice, there 55,236 registered sex offenders living in England and Wales in 2016/17. But earlier this year a Sky News investigation revealed police forces had lost track of 485 registered offenders.
