Dangerous paedophile gained access to vulnerable children after doing gardening work at church in Leeds


A dangerous sex offender gained access to vulnerable children he met at a church in Leeds after doing volunteer work.
Dawid Dawid managed to ingratiate himself with single mothers who attended a free meals service at the church.
Leeds Crown Court heard the 67-year-old paedophile had access to the women’s children after befriending them and visiting their homes.
Dawid was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to four breaches of a sexual harm prevention order.

A probation officer’s report described him as a “paedophile in the truest sense.”

Martin Robertshaw, prosecuting, said Dawid was given a 12-year prison sentence in 1989 for serious sexual offences against boys.

At that time he was also made the subject of an indefinite sexual offences prevention order banning him from having contact with anyone under the age of 16 after he was considered a high risk to children.

Dawid, also known as Paul Dowid, was given a further four-year prison sentence in 2004 when he breached the order by befriending a vulnerable woman and gaining access to her two-year-old son.

His latest offending took place between September 2019 and March this year.

Mr Robertshaw said Dawid began attending a free meals service for families at a Church of England church in the city.

The prosecutor said: “This defendant attended the meal sessions and ingratiated himself with the church, doing odd jobs and gardening for the church.”

The defendant was in breach of the order by attending services as children were present.

Dawid went on to befriend a mum of four young children after meeting her at the church.

By October he was visiting her home almost every day.

He would bring sweets for the children, do shopping for the family and give them money.

Mr Robertshaw said: “She began to trust him, not realising, of course, what his true intentions were.”

The court heard Dawid would play with the woman’s six-year-old son, sit him on his knee and have other physical contact with him.

On one occasion Dawid was allowed to wash the boy’s hair in the bath in the presence of the mother.

The mother became concerned when she noticed Dawid staring at the boy when he was naked.

She later told him to stop visiting their home and all contact ended.

Dawid befriended another vulnerable mum-of-four in November and began giving her “financial assistance”.

On one occasion, when Dawid was present at the house, the woman’s son told her that a part of his body was sore.

Dawid then said to her: “Next time he is in the bath do you want me to have a look at it for you?”

The woman became wary of the defendant from that moment and refused to let him into her home.

In March this year the Father at the church told the woman that Dawid was not safe in the company of children.

Dawid was also allowed into the home of another mum who lived with her three young children.

He went into the property while the children were there in February and March.

Mr Robertshaw said the mum was shocked when she discovered that Dawid was a sex offender.

Dawid, of Ramshead Heights, Seacroft, pleaded guilty to four breaches of a sexual offences prevention order.

A probation officer described in a report how Dawid had shown no remorse for his actions.

The report stated the defendant attempted to present himself as the victim and suggested that the women exploited him for money.

Dawid also claimed to the report author that he “forgot” he was the subject of a sexual offences prevention order.

The report described him as a “paedophile in the truest sense.”

Shila Whitehead, mitigating, said Dawid accepted that he must face a lengthy prison sentence for the offending.

Judge Penelope Belcher told Dawid she considered him to pose a serious risk to children.
She said: “You have no internal controls whatsoever which are needed to prevent you from committing further offences.”