A man who was one of the landmark “Bolton Seven” group was found to have groomed, raped and abused young boys more than 20 years ago. Norman Williams, now 59, abused three boys in the 1990s, raping two of them no less than 11 times a piece and often abusing each in the presence of the other. Bolton Crown Court heard how he had preyed upon vulnerable victims, giving them alcohol, cigarettes and in one case cannabis.
Prosecutor Simon Blakeborough said: “They were vulnerable children at the time, both coming from difficult backgrounds and somewhat dysfunctional families. “The defendant exploited their vulnerabilities in order to repeatedly sexually assault both over a period of several years.” The case was heard at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Newsquest) The court heard how Williams had been one of the “Bolton Seven”, a group of men who had won compensation after their case went all the way to the European Court of Human Rights.
The landmark case centred on consensual sexual activity with a 17-year-old boy, which was illegal at the time. But it helped to prompt a change in the law to equalise the homosexual and heterosexual ages of consent. The group had also won an apology from the British government.
But while Williams was still serving a notification requirement and being monitored by police in the aftermath of the famous case, he began his horrific campaign of abuse. For a period over several years, Williams raped each of the two boys no fewer than 11 times, ofte.